A new report by Tracka, the service delivery arm of BudgIT, has revealed that 17 contractors were paid a total of N2.4 billion for 15 projects across nine states, yet none of the projects have been initiated.
Tracka, which monitors public projects and enables citizen feedback, detailed instances of unexecuted projects despite full or partial payments.
Among them, Mainstream Contractors received N401 million in December 2023 from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for road rehabilitation in Nasarawa State, but no work has been done.
Similarly, Icent Light Ltd was paid N153 million for fencing and landscaping projects in Delta State under the National Institute for Construction Technology, yet there is no evidence of execution.
Additionally, A3 Interbiz Link Service Limited received N88 million from the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria for constructing and equipping a primary healthcare center in Osun State, but the site remains untouched.
These cases are part of a broader issue uncovered in the Tracka 2023/2024 Report, Achieving National Development through Efficient Service Delivery, launched on January 30, 2025.
The report tracked 1,404 projects worth N282.5 billion across 25 states, revealing that while 51% of projects were completed and 24% were ongoing, 16% were not executed at all, and 9% were either abandoned or poorly implemented.
The report also assessed the performance of key government agencies. The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) led with a 78% project completion rate, followed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (68%) and the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency (65%).
However, poor-performing agencies included the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (20%) and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (16%), reflecting inefficiencies in project execution.
Expressing deep concern over the non-execution of critical public projects, Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director, criticized the continued embezzlement and mismanagement of capital expenditure funds.
He attributed the problem to poor oversight and collusion between government agencies and contractors, which results in project abandonment and financial wastage.
“Nigeria faces significant infrastructure challenges, and yet, capital projects have become the biggest avenue for corruption,” Okeowo stated.
He called on the Federal Government, anti-corruption agencies, and lawmakers to take urgent action to address these issues, urging the ICPC and EFCC to investigate and prosecute contractors who fail to execute awarded projects.
“If these financial leakages are not addressed, Nigeria’s scarce resources will continue to be diverted away from real development needs,” he warned.
BudgIT also urged elected representatives to prioritize the completion of abandoned projects and ensure public funds are effectively utilized to benefit citizens.
