TERRIBLE! 5 States With Expensive Abandoned Projects

One of the major issues faced in Nigeria is the lack of infrastructure in the country.  A number of projects are initiated by the government and are later abandoned. 

Some of these projects' funds are gotten from the taxes of the citizens and are worth billions of Naira.  However, not all the money is spent judiciously. 

From abandoned airports to radioactive waste management that didn't work, Scooper lists the states with expensive abandoned projects. 

1. Rivers State- Monorail Project 

The project was announced in 2011 and construction commenced in 2012. The project was designed to cover 12kilometers at the cost of N50 billion but was abandoned in September 2017 at only 2.6km.

The project has allegedly used up to 33.9billion. It was proposed to ease transportation problems in the state.

However, since the former governor of the state  Rotimi Amechi left office, the project has been abandoned as the current government, led by Governor Nyesom Wike, has continuously lamented over the project, alleging the cost of the project compared to other similar projects was outrageous.  

2. Bayelsa - Five-star International Hotel

The spiral structure was designed to be the tallest building in the state and a hotel of aesthetic beauty and excellence that would promote the state’s tourism potential. 

The report of the Financial Management Review Committee showed that the cost of the project was N13.9 billion.

The project was initiated by the administration of late Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan in his short-lived reign as the governor of the state began the construction of the hotel and left the project on a second floor after he became the Vice-President.

Governor Timipre Sylva, redesigned the project and made it 18-storey building, and continued the project. However, for the past 5 years, the building has been abandoned.

According to the government, the project was on hold because of the economic recession which has compelled them to reorder its priorities in line with scarce resources accruing to the state. 

3. Minna- Minna Airport City Project

The Minna Airport City project was envisioned to be the first of its kind in Nigeria in terms of its layout, infrastructure, economic benefits and to create a benchmark in urban planning.

The project was initiated in May 2008  with the estimated sum of $600million to fund the project. 

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has said there were no resources in the state now to complete such a project, insisting that the available resources in the state will instead be channelled to other viable areas. 

Also, the Minna 5-star hotel cost of the construction was put at N19.6 billion. Although the government had issued a bank guarantee of N1.4 billion and land worth N400 million, the hotel remains as it is since former Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu left the office. 

4.  Lagos State- Lagos City Light Rail Project 

It was initiated in 2008 and was slated to be completed in 2011.  It was however not completed till the exit of Babatunde Fashola. 

The project was estimated to cost  $1.4billion. The current Governor Ambode stated that the project would be delivered to Lagos residents in 12 months. 

That deadline fell on July 2016 and later pushed forward to December 2016.  But by November 2016, the governor made another volte-face, extending the date to 2022. 

Although the project has not been completely abandoned, work has drastically reduced on site. 

5. Akwa Ibom-Akwa Ibom specialist hospital

Hospital construction started on September 25, 2007, and was inaugurated in 2015 with an estimation of 41billion Naira. However, In September 2018, the hospital was shut down owing to alleged poor management and lack of accountability by the consultant.

The current governor Emmanuel Udom was enraged that his administration also spent over N500 million in a space of six months to maintain the hospital but got nothing in return. The hospital has since been on lockdown.