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From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The federal government has begun a comprehensive review of capital projects executed under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021–2025, saying the outcome will provide the evidence needed to improve project delivery and shape the country’s next five-year development blueprint.
The exercise, which focuses on projects implemented by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the South-East and South-West between 2021 and 2023, is part of efforts to strengthen accountability, enhance value for public spending and ensure future government investments produce greater impact.
Declaring open a two-day validation workshop in Abuja yesterday, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Deborah Odoh, represented by the Director of the Food and Nutrition Department, Mrs. Clementine Okoro, said the review was more than an assessment of completed projects.
She explained that the findings would serve as an important policy tool for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2026–2030, which is nearing completion.
“The evaluation findings are not merely an assessment of past performance; they are a roadmap for reform, learning and continuous improvement. They will strengthen the implementation of NDP 2026–2030 and ensure that public investments achieve greater impact,” she said.
Odoh noted that as the NDP 2021–2025 comes to a close, the government is placing greater emphasis on evidence-based planning and performance evaluation to ensure that future projects are better designed, efficiently implemented and more responsive to the needs of Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Director of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Mrs. Olasunbo Ayinde-Yakub, described the validation workshop as a key stage in the evaluation process because it allows stakeholders to scrutinise the findings, validate the evidence and strengthen the recommendations before the report is finalised.
She explained that the independent evaluation covered selected federal government capital projects across the country’s six geopolitical zones using globally recognised assessment criteria, including relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability and coherence.
According to her, the review measured the contribution of the projects to infrastructure development, economic diversification, human capital development and improved service delivery.
The workshop also featured presentations of regional evaluation reports.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Vessels of Gold and Silver Nigeria Limited, Mr. Atta Yakubu, presented the findings for the South-East, while the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kadel Infra Global Services Limited, Mr. Kayode Olugbenga, presented the South-West report.
Both presentations highlighted project achievements, implementation bottlenecks and practical recommendations aimed at improving the planning, execution and monitoring of future federal government projects.
The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning said the validation process would help ensure that the final report reflects stakeholders’ inputs and provides a credible basis for improving governance, strengthening accountability and enhancing the impact of public investment under the 2026–2030 National Development Plan.
