The House of Representatives has resolved to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate abandoned Federal Government-owned properties and buildings across the country, reportedly valued at over ₦20 trillion.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), during plenary on Wednesday.
Chinda, citing Order 8, Rule 5 of the House Standing Orders and Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), said the investigation aims to prevent further 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 about 63 per cent of projects initiated since independence.
Among the major abandoned properties listed were the Federal Secretariat Complex in Ikoyi, Lagos; the Nigerian International Hotel Building, Suleja, Niger State; the Millennium Tower, Abuja; the Federal Inland Revenue Service building in Abia State; the National Library Headquarters, Abuja; the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company, Kaduna; the Kaduna Textile Building; and the Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company, Delta State.
Chinda lamented that despite the creation of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Federal Government Properties in 2000, the committee has yet to submit its final report. He said the delay has raised questions about transparency and accountability in managing public assets.
He also noted that decades of neglect have exposed many of the properties to decay and depreciation, adding that inflation and outdated designs have further reduced their value.
Chinda called for strategic interventions through public–private partnerships to restore and utilise the assets effectively, saying such efforts would help prevent further loss and wastage.
Following deliberations, the House unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote presided over by the Speaker.
The ad hoc committee, once constituted, is mandated to review existing reports, verify the current status of the abandoned properties, and recommend recovery strategies, including private sector participation.
The committee is expected to report back within six weeks for further legislative action.
