Reps probe ₦20tn abandoned federal properties
The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate abandoned Federal Government–owned landed properties and buildings across the country, reportedly valued at over N20tn. This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), during plenary on Wednesday.Chinda, citing Order 8, Rule 5 of the House Standing Orders and Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), said the investigation was aimed at preventing further wastage of public resources and ensuring the recovery of valuable national assets.
He referenced a 2021 report by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, which identified about 11,866 abandoned federal projects nationwide—representing approximately 63 per cent of projects initiated since independence.Among the major properties listed by the lawmaker are the Federal Secretariat Complex in Ikoyi, Lagos; the Nigerian International Hotel Building, Suleja, Niger State; the Millennium Tower, Abuja; the Federal Inland Revenue Service building in Abia State; the National Library Headquarters, Abuja; the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company, Kaduna; the Kaduna Textile Building; and the Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company, Delta State.
Chinda lamented that despite the establishment of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Properties in 2000, the committee has yet to submit its final report.He expressed concern that the prolonged delay has raised serious questions about transparency and accountability in the management of public assets.“The House is concerned that the Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Properties, established in 2000, has yet to submit its final report, raising issues of accountability and transparency,” he stated.
The lawmaker further observed that decades of neglect have exposed many of the structures to decay and value depreciation, noting that inflation and outdated engineering designs have further eroded their worth.He advocated for strategic interventions through public–private partnerships to restore and utilise the properties effectively. “The Federal Government can rescue some of these assets through PPPs to prevent continuous wastage, structural weakening, and further loss of value,” Chinda said.Following deliberations, the House unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote presided over by the Speaker.
The yet-to-be-constituted ad hoc committee is mandated to review existing reports, verify the current status of the abandoned properties, and recommend recovery strategies, including viable private sector participation.The House directed the committee to report back within six weeks for further legislative action.
