New Report Uncovers ₦24 Billion in Abandoned and Fraudulent Projects Across Nigeria; Taraba and Abia Top the List of Shame

A shocking new report has revealed how billions of naira meant for roads, schools, and hospitals are being wasted across Nigeria. The report, titled “The People and Government Oversight,” was released by the tracking group BudgIT and shows that ₦24 billion worth of public projects are currently stalled or “fraudulent.”

According to the data shared on Thursday, March 19, 2026, the problem is most visible in five specific state,Taraba, Abia, Nasarawa, Adamawa, and Ogun which together hold nearly all of the country’s abandoned federal projects. Even though the government released the full money to contractors, many sites remain empty, leaving local communities with nothing but broken promises.

“This is no longer a funding problem,” said Joshua Osiyemi, the head of Tracka. “The money was paid, but the work wasn’t done.” The report also pointed out that in states like Benue and Ondo, many projects were simply never started, even after budget allocations were made.

In response to the growing anger, some state governments are taking a “zero-tolerance” approach. In Ebonyi, the government has given contractors until the end of the month to reach a specific building level or face jail time. Meanwhile, the Federal Minister of Works, David Umahi, has invited the EFCC and ICPC to physically inspect road projects to ensure that every kobo of the ₦24 billion is accounted for.