The House of Representatives has resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate abandoned Federal Government-owned landed properties and buildings across the country, reportedly valued at over ₦20 trillion.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored 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 investigation seeks to curb wastage of public resources and recover valuable national assets.
He referenced a 2021 report by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, which identified about 11,866 abandoned federal projects nationwide—representing roughly 63% of all projects initiated since independence.
Among the major properties listed were the Federal Secretariat Complex, Ikoyi (Lagos); Nigerian International Hotel Building, Suleja (Niger State); Millennium Tower, Abuja; Federal Inland Revenue Service Building, Abia State; National Library Headquarters, Abuja; Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company, Kaduna; Kaduna Textile Building; and the Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company, Delta State.
Chinda expressed concern that despite the establishment of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Properties in 2000, the committee has yet to submit its final report—raising serious questions about transparency and accountability in the management of public assets.
“The Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Properties, established in 2000, has yet to submit its final report, raising issues of accountability and transparency,”
Chinda stated.
He lamented that decades of neglect had led to structural decay and massive depreciation in the value of many properties, further worsened by inflation and outdated engineering designs.
Chinda advocated public–private partnerships (PPPs) as a viable strategy to restore and utilise the assets effectively.
“The Federal Government can rescue some of these assets through PPPs to prevent continuous wastage, structural weakening, and further loss of value,” he said.
After deliberations, the House unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote presided over by the Speaker.
The soon-to-be-inaugurated ad hoc committee is mandated to review existing reports, verify the current status of the abandoned properties, and recommend recovery strategies, including private sector participation.
The House directed the committee to report back within six weeks for further legislative action.
