Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
BudgIT, a budget transparency organisation that tracks budget performance in Nigeria, has uncovered 92 fraudulent projects across the country.
In its 2024/2025 Tracka Report, released yesterday, in which 2,760 projects were tracked, 92 were categorised “Fraudulent Projects”, with many left unfinished.
According to the report, “In this reporting cycle, Tracka monitored 2,760 projects across 28 states, highlighting systemic gaps between public spending and tangible development outcomes.
“Of these projects, 1,438 were completed, 99 were abandoned, 660 were in progress, 471 were not done, and 92 were fraudulently delivered-characterised by the diversion of project funds and projects to other locations, disbursements of funds for projects completed in previous budget cycles without new implementation, projects partially completed, and poorly executed.
“The highest incidence of such fraudulent projects was recorded in Imo (17.43%), Lagos (12.73%), Kwara (11.76%), Abia (10.67%), and Ogun (8.33%). These five states account for 57.1% of all fraudulently delivered projects, representing ?8.61 billion of the total ?15.07 billion disbursed for projects in this category.”
The organization said a further breakdown of the projects involved targeted tracking to evaluate the status of strategic infrastructure and its wider impact on national development.
“This focused monitoring covered key sectors, including dam projects, revitalised primary healthcare centres, and federally funded projects in the Niger Delta.
“By concentrating on these priority areas, Tracka aimed to provide a clearer understanding of how public investments translate into tangible outcomes for citizens.”
BudgIT added that Following repeated national grid collapses in 2024, Tracka focused on dam-related projects across 13 states with a combined value of ?432 million. Dams are critical for water management, irrigation, and power generation, and weak oversight in this sector can have ripple effects on national energy supply, food production, and economic stability.
According to the report, “Of the 16 projects tracked, none were completed at the time of assessment. Four were abandoned, six were progressing slowly, and six had yet to commence despite prior funding.”
To assess progress in Primary Healhcare, the platform tracked 47 revitalised primary healthcare centres across 25 states. Of this number, 26 centres showed visible improvements in infrastructure or equipment; 12 were under renovation; eight had no interventions despite being listed as revitalised; and one was completely abandoned.
In the Niger Delta, Tracka monitored 48 federally funded projects across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers states.
It said that while 29 projects were completed and produced measurable community benefits, 13 had not commenced, four were ongoing, and two were untraceable despite confirmed funding.
Despite these challenges, the report highlights 15 success stories driven by citizen engagement.
These included the revitalisation of Kaida Sabo Primary Healthcare Centre, renovations at Nawairudeen Primary School in Plateau State, completion of a stalled healthcare centre in Ikirun, empowerment programs for persons with disabilities in Katsina, erosion control initiatives in Rivers State, and clean water access through borehole projects in Akwa Ibom.
Commenting on the report’s findings, the Head of Tracka, Joshua Osiyemi, highlighted the urgent need for citizen oversight to ensure that public funds deliver real impact. “The 2024/2025 Tracka report confirms what we have long known. Allocation of funds does not guarantee project delivery. Citizen oversight is not optional; it is essential. Tracka monitored 11.2% of the budgeted projects (2,760 out of 24,553) (ERGP+ZIP), demonstrating what is possible. If just 5% of Nigerians engage in oversight, monitoring could reach 50%, significantly reducing opportunities for corruption and greatly improving service delivery and quality of life across communities.
“To this end, we call on the government to publish detailed project information, provide timely disbursement data, strengthen supervision, and prioritise socially impactful projects.
“State governments must treat federal allocations to them as strategic development tools, not discretionary or patronage funds.
“Also, Anti-corruption agencies are urged to act preventively, close systemic loopholes, and ensure investigations yield tangible results.
“In the meantime, citizens are encouraged to visit project sites, document progress, and use civic platforms such as Tracka to reinforce accountability at the grassroots level.
“The 2024/2025 report serves both as a warning and an invitation: without accountability, public resources will continue to be wasted; but with citizen engagement, institutions and communities can ensure that public spending delivers real, measurable impact,” he said.
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