By Olawale Lamina
In a landmark partnership to enthrone transparency and value in public infrastructure spending, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ,ICPC, and the Federal Ministry of Works have jointly launched a nationwide Special Tracking Exercise.
A release by the Spokesperson for the ICPC, John Okor Odey, ANIPR, noted that the initiative targeted the physical verification and performance audit of 760 federal road projects with a combined contract value exceeding Thirty-Six Trillion Naira (N36 Trillion).
According to the statement by the Commission’, the exercise, which commenced on November 14, 2025, mobilised joint teams of ICPC investigators, engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works, and independent professionals from bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS). “These teams are now deployed across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to conduct on-the-ground assessments,” Odey stated
ICPC added that what it described as a large-scale initiative was designed to achieve several critical national objectives, which include; Enhancing Fiscal Governance: To ensure sustainable, cost-effective infrastructure development and optimal use of public funds; Strengthening Procurement Integrity: To investigate and deter fraudulent practices in the award of government contracts; Enforcing Contractor Accountability: To monitor project execution rigorously, compel the completion of abandoned projects, and ensure adherence to contractual specifications.
Other objectives include, Securing Financial Recovery: To recover public funds from projects found to be grossly inflated or where contractors have demonstrably failed to perform.
The Commission further informed the ongoing field work involves a detailed review of project sites, records, and deliverables. “Following this phase, state-level reports will be consolidated into a comprehensive national audit report. The findings will highlight compliance levels, identify irregularities, and form the basis for determined enforcement actions by relevant authorities against any implicated individuals or entities,” the release stated.
On the import of the initiative, ICPC stated that, “This exercise represents a proactive, system-driven approach to safeguarding our national infrastructure investments,” adding that, “Tracking 760 projects of this magnitude underscores our resolve to partner with government institutions in closing leakages, promoting accountability, and ensuring that public projects translate into tangible public good.”
The ICPC seized the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the collaborative governance effort, which it says was aimed at fortifying the integrity of Nigeria’s public procurement and project execution framework.
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