By Mustapha Umar
The House of Representatives has resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate thousands of abandoned federal government properties and buildings across the country, estimated to be worth over ₦20 trillion.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance moved by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), during Wednesday’s plenary session.
Citing Order 8, Rule 5 of the House Standing Orders and Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Chinda said the probe seeks to prevent further wastage of public resources and recover idle national assets that have lost value through neglect and poor management.
He referenced a 2021 report by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, which identified 11,866 abandoned federal projects nationwide — representing about 63 percent of projects initiated since independence.
Among the notable abandoned properties listed were the Federal Secretariat Complex in Ikoyi, Lagos; the Nigerian International Hotel Building in Suleja, Niger State; the Millennium Tower in Abuja; the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Building in Abia State; the National Library Headquarters in Abuja; the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company in Kaduna; the Kaduna Textile Building; and the Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company in Delta State.
Chinda criticised the continued inaction of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Properties, established in 2000, which he said has yet to present its final report, raising serious concerns over transparency and accountability.
He warned that prolonged neglect has led to the decay and depreciation of several structures, with inflation and outdated engineering designs further reducing their value.
The Minority Leader also suggested exploring public–private partnerships (PPPs) as a sustainable solution to revitalise and repurpose the assets. “The Federal Government can rescue some of these assets through PPPs to prevent continuous wastage, structural weakening, and further loss of value,” he stated.
After deliberations, the House unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote presided over by the Speaker.
The proposed ad hoc committee will be tasked with reviewing existing reports, verifying the current status of the abandoned properties, and recommending strategies for recovery and reuse, including potential private sector involvement.
The committee is expected to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative consideration.
