ICPC uncovers N173 billion in duplicated 2024 constituency projects

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed that the 2024 budget for Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs), commonly known as constituency projects, includes N173 billion worth of duplicated projects.

This figure has been forwarded to the Budget Office of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance, with the ICPC urging these offices to halt funding for the duplicate projects.

Additionally, the anti-graft agency has recovered over N30.33 billion in savings through its latest Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Exercise. The ICPC also reported that 176 contractors have returned to project sites to complete stalled or abandoned works as part of this exercise.

Highlighting the persistent issue of corruption within ZIPs, the ICPC Deputy Director of Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), Mr. Jimoh Sulaiman, expressed concerns over budget duplication, poor project assessments, and the misallocation of projects to agencies that lack the capacity for successful execution. Speaking on the anti-corruption radio program, Public Conscience, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG), Sulaiman addressed the key challenges facing constituency projects in Nigeria.

“For phase six of our tracking exercise, we reviewed 1,721 projects across 26 states,” Sulaiman said, emphasizing that the tracking initiative’s focus remains on projects that directly benefit citizens, such as those related to health, education, water, agriculture, power, road infrastructure, and empowerment. “In the upcoming weeks, we will begin phase seven, covering 23 states strategically selected to maximize impact.”

Sulaiman noted that infrequent needs assessments and lawmakers’ failure to engage local stakeholders further exacerbate the issues with ZIPs. “Legislators should ensure that they consult state or local governments to guarantee project sustainability,” he advised.

The ICPC also tracks and tags budget items each year, identifying and flagging suspicious or redundant entries. For the 2024 budget analysis, duplicated projects worth N173 billion were flagged and reported to relevant financial authorities for appropriate action. Sulaiman explained, “These tagged projects may not be executed effectively due to lack of expertise within some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). When out-of-mandate projects are added to an agency’s budget, it not only inflates costs through unnecessary consultants but also increases the risk of poor project delivery.”

In a call for structural improvements, Sulaiman underscored that project supervisors often lack specialized skills, citing cases where supervisors with limited knowledge were assigned complex technical projects. “For ZIPs to truly benefit Nigerians, the ICPC believes that more thorough needs assessments and capacity-aligned project allocations are essential.”

As the agency gears up for phase seven of its tracking initiative, the ICPC remains committed to promoting accountability and efficiency in Nigeria’s ZIPs, aiming to safeguard public funds and ensure that projects directly improve the lives of Nigerian citizens.