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The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed on Wednesday that the ministry executed multi-billion-naira capital projects in 2024 without receiving a capital allocation in the budget.
Speaking during the 2025 budget defence session before the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Interior, Tunji-Ojo explained that this was achieved by reviewing contracts dating back to 1999 and compelling contractors to fulfil their obligations to the government.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed that some of the contracts were abandoned either in breach of contract terms or under public-private partnership and/or concession agreements.
He said, “We were able to complete automation e-gates, the command and control centre, resource centres, visa approval centres, solar farms, and other projects by thinking outside the box.
“We didn’t spend a kobo of government money to do some of these things. What we did was avoid entering into new contracts. Instead, we reviewed existing ones and implemented value proposition management to ensure contractors fulfilled their obligations.
“For example, someone with a contract for issuing Visa Approval Centres hadn’t built a VAC centre. We had to ensure they delivered. Another contractor providing border control solutions implemented the software component but failed to deliver the hardware, which is essential for e-gate solutions. I made it clear that contracts cannot be implemented partially. They must be executed holistically.”
He described the accountability measures instituted to ensure compliance, highlighting the construction of a four-megawatt solar farm, valued at approximately $4 million, as an example.
The minister added that his training as an information technology expert greatly assisted in the design and delivery of the solutions.
“Most of these solutions were personally designed by me. I consulted directly, using my expertise to ensure that government gets what it deserves,” he added.
Tunji-Ojo assured the committee that no public funds were used for the commissioned projects, and no new contracts or concessions were signed.
He said, “Every solution was derived from existing contracts. Not one naira of public money was spent. It’s about ensuring Nigeria gains value from previously signed agreements.”
After presenting the proposed 2025 budget, the minister pledged to continue leveraging technology and reforms to address identified challenges.
“In 2025, we will intensify our efforts. If contractors do not bring value to the government, they will be held accountable. We are not Father Christmas. PPPs exist because the government cannot fund everything.
Profit-sharing without delivering infrastructure is callous, wicked, and unacceptable,” he said.
Following his presentation, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Abdullahi Aliyu, commended the minister for surpassing the 2024 revenue target despite the zero capital allocation.
However, after a committee member pointed out the omission of tender fees in the budget proposal, the minister apologised and promised to rectify the error.
