SEREC urges FCTA to audit Abuja industrial projects

The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to conduct an audit of industrial projects and implement measures to recover stalled investments in Abuja.

In a policy note titled ‘Industrial Clusters in the FCT: Stopping Waste, Unlocking Abuja as Nigeria’s Productive and Economic Capital’, SEREC’s Head of Research, Eugene Nweke, recommended a 90-day comprehensive audit of major industrial and economic clusters. The proposed audit aims to verify land allocations, project costs, capital deployment, and infrastructure delivery. It would also assess operational enterprises, job creation, tax contributions, and the legal status of various projects.

Nweke further proposed the creation of an FCT Industrial Infrastructure Recovery Fund to focus resources on strategic industrial zones. Priority areas for this funding include electricity, water, access roads, security, and digital infrastructure. Additionally, the centre recommended milestone-based Public-Private Partnership (PPP) governance to ensure land allocations lead to actual factory construction.