The House of Representatives has resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate abandoned Federal Government–owned land and buildings across Nigeria valued at over ₦20 trillion.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader during plenary session on Wednesday.
Chinda, explained that the investigation aims to curb further wastage of public resources and facilitate the recovery of valuable national assets.
He referenced a 2021 report by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, which identified some 11,866 abandoned federal projects nationwide, representing approximately 63 percent of all projects initiated since independence.
Among the major properties highlighted by the lawmaker are the Federal Secretariat Complex in Ikoyi, Lagos; the Nigerian International Hotel, Suleja, Niger State; Millennium Tower, Abuja; the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) 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 warned that the prolonged delay has raised serious concerns over transparency and accountability in the management of public assets.
The lawmaker further noted that decades of neglect have left many of these structures vulnerable to decay and depreciation, with inflation and outdated engineering designs further eroding their value. He called for strategic interventions, including public–private partnerships (PPPs), to restore and make effective use of the properties.
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“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-formed ad hoc committee has been tasked with reviewing existing reports, verifying the current status of the abandoned properties, and recommending recovery strategies, including viable private sector participation.
The House has directed the committee to submit its report within six weeks for further legislative action.
