The House of Representatives has advanced a legislative proposal aimed at addressing Nigeria’s long-standing issue of abandoned and inflated public projects.
The bill, which passed second reading, seeks to establish the National Independent Project Monitoring Agency (NIPMA), a body that would independently oversee the implementation of capital projects funded by the federal government.
Sponsored by Hon. Chinedu Martins, the bill intends to fill a critical gap in project oversight by ensuring transparency, accountability, and timely execution.
Martins said the agency would not only track and report on all federally funded projects nationwide but also detect inflated costs early, saving the country billions of naira each year through rigorous and real-time monitoring.
Leading debate on the bill’s general principles, Martins criticized the existing structure where ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) are responsible both for awarding contracts and monitoring their implementation.
He argued that such an arrangement is flawed and fosters corruption and inefficiency.
“You will agree with me that, year after year, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria presents an Appropriation Bill to this Honourable House, detailing capital expenditures running into trillions of naira for the execution of developmental projects across the country,” Martins said.
“These projects are domiciled in various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and implemented by contractors who are issued letters of award in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Public Procurement Act of 2007.”
Despite these massive budgetary allocations, he said, the visible results are disappointing:
“The reality on ground paints a distressing picture. Across the country, we encounter the scars of abandoned, substandard, or poorly executed projects by MDAs. This is not only wasteful; it is unacceptable.”
Martins pointed to the absence of a “credible, transparent, and independent monitoring system” as one of the main reasons projects fail. He emphasized the inherent conflict of interest in the current system:
“Mr. Speaker and Honourable Colleagues, you will agree with me that the same MDAs that award these contracts are also the same MDAs responsible for monitoring the execution of the same projects. This arrangement is inherently defective. As the saying goes, you cannot be a judge in your own case.”
“This model of self-supervision breeds inefficiency, fosters compromise, and enables contractors to cut corners, which is a major reason for the numerous abandoned projects, while billions of naira remain unaccounted for.”
The proposed NIPMA would serve as a statutory body solely focused on monitoring, tracking, and reporting the implementation status of federally funded projects, thereby addressing the governance vacuum currently plaguing public infrastructure delivery.
Martins also emphasized the economic benefits of creating such an agency:
“Effective monitoring will detect inflated project costs early and ensure value for money, saving the nation billions of naira annually. Citizens will regain trust in government when they see that public funds are being transparently and judiciously utilized.”
He added that the agency would also generate employment for various professionals such as engineers, quantity surveyors, auditors, and data analysts, while also stimulating local economies in project host communities.
“When infrastructure projects are properly implemented, they catalyze commerce, attract investment, and promote national development, thereby expanding the economy and reducing poverty.”
Martins clarified that the proposed agency would not conflict with existing institutions:
“Should this Bill be passed into law, the National Independent Project Monitoring Agency will not conflict with existing institutions such as the Bureau of Public Procurement or the Office of the Auditor-General. Rather, it will complement them by addressing the urgent need for real-time, on-the-ground monitoring of capital projects.”
Calling for broad support from his colleagues, he concluded: “This Bill is timely, necessary, and ultimately in the best interest of the Nigerian people. Therefore, I respectfully urge this Honourable House to lend its full support to this vital legislative proposal to be allowed to be read the second time, to ensure that resources appropriated by this House genuinely serve the people of Nigeria.”
