By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
Aba, Abia State –The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has raised alarm over the rising number of failed and abandoned projects in the Niger Delta, despite decades of heavy funding through federal intervention agencies.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, FENRAD noted that agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, and the Presidential Amnesty Programme have received billions in allocations over the years. Yet, the region remains trapped in a cycle of infrastructural decay, unemployment, environmental degradation, and economic stagnation.
According to the group, the problem stems from a glaring disconnect between community needs and project execution, leading to “white elephant” projects, duplication, and wasteful interventions that bring no tangible change to the lives of Niger Delta residents.
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director of FENRAD, called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately establish a Project-Based Independent Monitoring Mechanism composed of civil society organizations (CSOs), community representatives, budget transparency advocates, and media stakeholders.
“There must be a structured and credible platform through which citizens and communities can track, evaluate, and influence how projects are planned, budgeted for, and implemented. We must end the era of unaccountable spending in the Niger Delta,” Nwafor said.
FENRAD’s Key Demands
The group outlined four urgent steps to rebuild trust and ensure accountability in regional development:
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Independent Civil Society & Community Monitoring Team – Empowered to track the lifecycle of projects from budget allocation to delivery, monitor procurement and contractor performance, and expose abandoned or inflated projects.
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Community Needs Assessments – Mandating agencies like NDDC to base projects on participatory assessments and publish the results alongside budgets.
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Open Budgeting and Oversight – Involving credible CSOs in project formulation, tracking, and auditing, while providing real-time public access to data on contractors, funds, and project status.
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Annual Independent Forensic Audits – Partnering with anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC, and Code of Conduct Bureau to audit intervention funds and prosecute violators.
FENRAD stressed that accountability and transparency are the only ways to restore integrity to public institutions and ensure the Niger Delta receives lasting development impact instead of symbolic gestures.
The organization concluded that the region “deserves more than promises—it deserves measurable results.”
Newspot Nigeria reports that the full FENRAD statement is reproduced below:
FULL STATEMENT
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
27th August 2025
FAILED PROJECTS IN THE NIGER DELTA: FENRAD CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO ESTABLISH INDEPENDENT CIVIL SOCIETY & COMMUNITY MONITORING TEAM FOR OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
ABA, ABIA STATE –27th August 2025 – The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), an Environmental Rights Advocacy Organization, expresses deep concern over the growing number of abandoned, under-delivered, and failed projects funded through federal intervention agencies in the Niger Delta. Despite enormous allocations over the years through bodies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, the region continues to suffer from infrastructural deficits, unemployment, environmental degradation, and economic stagnation.
A disturbing trend is the disconnect between budgeted projects and the actual needs of communities, resulting in “white elephant” projects, duplicated efforts, and unsustainable interventions.
FENRAD, therefore, calls on His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to take urgent action by establishing a Project-Based Independent Monitoring Mechanism—comprising civil society organizations (CSOs), community representatives, budget transparency advocates, and media stakeholders.
“There must be a structured and credible platform through which citizens and communities can track, evaluate, and influence how projects are planned, budgeted for, and implemented. We must end the era of unaccountable spending in the Niger Delta,” said Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director of FENRAD.
FENRAD’s Key Recommendations:
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Creation of an Independent Civil Society and Community Monitoring Team, empowered to:
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Track the full lifecycle of Niger Delta projects—from budget allocation to project delivery.
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Monitor procurement compliance and contractor performance.
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Publicly expose abandoned or inflated projects.
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Inclusion of Community Needs Assessments in Project Planning:
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Ensure that all projects captured in federal and agency budgets reflect real community needs, based on verifiable, participatory assessments.
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Mandate agencies like NDDC to publish needs assessments alongside their annual budgets.
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Budget Oversight and Open Budgeting:
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Involve credible CSOs in budget formulation, tracking, and auditing.
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Require real-time public access to project locations, contractors, funding amounts, and completion status.
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Independent Annual Audit of All Niger Delta Intervention Funds:
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Commission periodic forensic audits in partnership with anti-corruption agencies (EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau) to identify waste and prosecute violators.
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FENRAD emphasizes that rebuilding trust in public institutions and restoring integrity to regional development begins with transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.
The Niger Delta deserves more than symbolic gestures—it deserves lasting, measurable impact.
Signed:
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director, FENRAD
Tel: 08033383708, 07062949232
Email: [email protected]
www.fenrad.org.ng
