The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has issued a stern warning to all regional commissions across the federation, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC), against the practice of initiating new projects while leaving old ones “abandoned and decaying.” During a high-level briefing in Abuja on Thursday, April 16, 2026, the Minister emphasized that the “proliferation of uncompleted projects” is a major drain on the nation’s resources and a betrayal of the trust of the beneficiary communities. He directed the commissions to conduct an immediate “audit and prioritization” exercise, focusing on completing impactful infrastructure like roads, schools, and hospitals before embarking on any new budgetary commitments.
Supporting context for the Minister’s warning reveals that there are currently over 12,000 abandoned projects across the various regional commissions, some dating back over a decade. Minister Momoh noted that under the “Renewed Hope” administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there is a zero-tolerance policy for “white elephant projects” that exist only on paper or stop at the “foundation level.” He argued that the “impact of development” is measured by the functionality of the facilities and not the “number of groundbreaking ceremonies.” The Ministry has also introduced a “performance-based funding” model where commissions that demonstrate high project completion rates will be prioritized in the next budgetary cycle.
Stakeholder reactions from the Niger Delta and the North-East have highlighted a “deep-seated frustration” with the commissions over the years. Many community leaders have pointed to bridge projects that have been stalled for years, forcing residents to use “unsafe canoes” or travel long distances. While they welcomed the Minister’s warning, they urged the Federal Government to also ensure “timely release of funds” to the commissions, as budgetary delays are often cited as the primary reason for project abandonment. Civil society groups have called for a “public dashboard” where citizens can track the progress of regional projects in real-time, holding both the commissions and the contractors accountable.
Governance and infrastructure analysts observe that the “project abandonment syndrome” is a systemic failure rooted in “political patronage and poor monitoring.” Experts suggest that for the Minister’s warning to be effective, there must be “legal and financial sanctions” for commissions and contractors who fail to meet completion deadlines. They argue that the Ministry should consider “merging similar projects” to ensure they are finished to a high standard. Analysts maintain that the “Regional Development Ministry” must move from being a “policy-maker” to a “vigilant supervisor,” conducting unannounced site visits to verify the claims of the commissions.
The broader implications of this directive point toward a more “disciplined and results-oriented” approach to regional development in Nigeria. By prioritizing the completion of existing projects, the government is effectively “unlocking the value” of billions of naira that have already been sunk into the ground. This shift is expected to improve the “Ease of Living” in the rural and neglected areas of the country. As the commissions prepare their “prioritization lists,” the focus remains on the “transparency of the audit” and whether the “Performance-Based Funding” model will truly incentivize efficiency. For the average citizen in a “forgotten community,” the Minister’s warning is a hope that the “skeleton of a project” in their village will finally become a functional school or hospital.
