The House of Representatives is proposing the creation of a new agency to tackle Nigeria’s long-standing issue of abandoned and substandard public projects.
The bill, sponsored by Hon. Chinedu Emeka Martins, seeks to establish the National Independent Project and Monitoring Agency (NIPMA). The agency will serve as a dedicated body to ensure transparency, accountability, and real-time oversight of federal projects.
Now at second reading, the proposed law aims to ensure projects are executed to standard, within budget, and delivered on time. It would also help detect inflated project costs early and save the country billions of naira annually.
During the lead debate, Hon. Chinedu criticized the current system in which Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) both award and supervise their own contracts. He described the arrangement as “inherently defective,” saying it promotes inefficiency and enables contractors to cut corners.
“Each year, trillions of naira are allocated for capital projects, yet we continue to see the scars of abandoned and poorly executed works,” he said. “There is a glaring absence of independent monitoring, which this bill seeks to correct.”
According to him, NIPMA will not duplicate the work of existing bodies like the Bureau of Public Procurement or the Office of the Auditor-General. Instead, it will complement them by providing independent, on-the-ground verification of project implementation.
The agency is also expected to generate employment for engineers, auditors, surveyors, and data analysts, while improving transparency in public spending.
“When citizens see that public funds are being used effectively, trust in government will be restored,” Chinedu said, adding that well-executed infrastructure projects are essential for attracting investment, boosting commerce, and reducing poverty.
If passed into law, the bill could mark a significant step in reforming project execution and oversight in Nigeria.
