The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has launched a new initiative to track constituency and executive projects worth N610 billion across 22 states.
The anti-corruption agency revealed that this effort is aimed at preventing project abandonment and ensuring proper utilization of allocated funds.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the spokesperson for ICPC, Demola Bakare, disclosed that the agency would monitor 1,500 projects scattered across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
This initiative marks the seventh phase of the commission’s Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Exercise, which began in 2019.
The states included in this round of tracking are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, the Federal Capital Territory, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia, and Enugu.
Bakare explained the purpose of the exercise, stating, “The ICPC has kicked off Phase 7 of the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Exercise.
“The tracking of the constituency and executive projects is an initiative of the commission that began in 2019, focusing on how well money allocated to critical sectors of education, health, agriculture, water resources, and power, amongst others, by the government is utilised.
“The seventh phase, involving 1,500 projects with a total project value of N610bn, commenced on Monday, November 18th, 2024, in 22 states across the six geopolitical zones. The states are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, FCT, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia, and Enugu State.
“The Phase 7 tracking exercise will cut across agencies of government, including intervention agencies such as the North-East Development Commission; the Niger Delta Development Commission; the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, Universal Basic Education Commission, Rural Electrification Agency, National Primary Health Care Development Authority, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Ecological Fund Office.
“The objective of the exercise is to deepen adherence to due process in the execution of government projects, improve value for money, and entrench the culture of compliance with the scope and specification as contained in the contract documents.”
This tracking effort builds upon the achievements of Phase 6, during which the ICPC monitored 1,900 projects valued at N500 billion across 24 states.
These projects were executed in key sectors such as education, water resources, agriculture, power, health, energy, and roads.
Bakare emphasized the scale and importance of the previous phase, “The ICPC tracked a total of 1,900 projects valued at N500bn in Phase 6 of the exercise across 24 states of the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
“The projects were tracked within the focal sectors of Education, Water Resources, Agriculture, Power, Health, Energy, and Roads.
“These projects in the 6th phase were awarded to a total of 1,355 contractors in 176 MDAs.”
Through these tracking initiatives, the ICPC aims to uphold transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the execution of government-funded projects, ensuring they meet their intended goals and deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
