Nigeria's abandoned projects crisis: Trillions wasted, systemic reform needed — Baruwa
Premium Times publishes a sweeping analysis by business climate analyst Dipo Baruwa documenting how Nigeria's abandoned projects — from Ajaokuta Steel (US$8-10bn, non-operational after four decades) to Mambilla Hydro (US$5.8bn, never started) and Brass LNG (US$16.5bn, repeatedly delayed) — represent a governance failure, not a funding shortage.
The piece classifies abandonment into five categories: physically incomplete (National Library HQ, >₦100bn to finish), substantially built but non-operational (Ajaokuta), permanently pre-construction (Mambilla), commercially stranded (Tinapa, >US$350m), and investment decisions repeatedly deferred (Brass LNG). Each requires distinct policy response — completion, restructuring, concessioning, or discontinuation.
Root causes identified: weak planning, inconsistent policy direction, corruption, poor accountability, and political leadership changes that shift priorities. Baruwa argues continued budget allocations to dead projects divert resources from viable initiatives, contributing to high budget non-completion rates.
Proposed solutions: comprehensive audit of all federal and state abandoned projects from the last two decades; strengthening the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning with the National Infrastructure Integrated Master Plan as central instrument; transparent procurement; clear accountability structures; and incentives rewarding completion over initiation.
The core argument: Nigeria's tragedy isn't lack of vision but absence of political and institutional capability to translate vision into completion. Authority, coordination, incentives, and commitment must be rebuilt to transcend electoral cycles.
Which abandoned project in your state would you prioritize for audit and potential revival — or formal discontinuation to stop the bleeding?