The House of Representatives is set to investigate approximately 12,000 abandoned federal building projects, primarily in Abuja and Lagos, following a similar initiative by the Senate in May 2024. The Senate had established a committee, led by Senator Lola Ashiru, to review 11,856 abandoned mega-projects, aiming to curb waste and recover national assets.

Historically, efforts to address abandoned federal projects have repeatedly stalled. The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) reported in 2021 that these 11,856 projects represent 63% of all federal projects since independence, meaning only 37% were completed. Previous initiatives, including committees under Presidents Obasanjo (2000) and Jonathan (2011), largely failed to produce tangible results.

Notable abandoned projects include:

• Federal Secretariat Complex, Ikoyi, Lagos
• Nigerian International Hotel, Suleja
• Federal Inland Revenue Service building, Umuahia
• Kaduna Textile building, Kaduna
• Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company, Ikot Abasi
• National Library Headquarters, Abuja
• Millennium Towers, Abuja

The article criticizes past panels as potentially becoming “jobs for the boys,” questioning whether the National Assembly can avoid repeating prior failures. Causes of abandonment include regime changes, policy shifts, economic downturns, corruption, and poor governance.

Proposed solutions include:

1. Expert-led combined panels for comprehensive auditing and public accountability.
2. Legal action wherever corruption is detected.
3. Privatisation or public-private partnerships (PPPs) to complete or repurpose abandoned projects.

The piece calls for decisive action to stop cyclical waste and turn abandoned assets into functional national resources.