Key stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to immediately domicile all Zonal Intervention and Constituency Projects (ZIP/CP) under the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs (FMSDIGA), warning that the current dispersal of the projects across ministries and agencies has led to waste, poor execution and weak accountability.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of the 2025 Stakeholders Interactive Forum organised by FMSDIGA in Abuja, and signed by Hajiya Maryam Mohammed, Head of Information and Media Unit, FMSDIGA, where participants unanimously agreed that ZIP/CP projects, which account for over ₦4 trillion annually in the Federal Government budget, should return to the ministry originally created to implement them.
"The present practice of scattering Zonal Intervention and Constituency Projects across various MDAs must stop immediately.
"All such projects should be domiciled in FMSDIGA to enable it assume its statutory responsibility as the anchor and implementation organ," the communique stated.
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Stakeholders identified lack of technical expertise, slow execution and poor project quality as major challenges undermining constituency projects nationwide, arguing that centralisation under FMSDIGA would enhance efficiency, transparency and value for money.
The forum also reflected the position of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who stressed that constituency projects must be driven by genuine community needs rather than personal interests.
"The choice of constituency projects must be guided strictly by their socio-economic benefits and the real needs of the people, not the whims or selfish interests of individuals," Kalu said in remarks delivered on his behalf by Hon. Stanley Ukuku.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly to the successful implementation of constituency projects in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
Stakeholders also urged anti-corruption agencies to move beyond warnings and begin prosecuting officials involved in the diversion and misappropriation of constituency project funds.
"Stakeholders are demanding decisive action against any highly placed public officer found culpable in the abuse of constituency project funds," the communique noted.
The forum welcomed assurances from the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr. Abdullahi Bello; Head of the ICPC Constituency Projects Unit, Mr. Bello Idris; and the representative of the EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Nwanyinma Okeanu, who pledged stricter enforcement and accountability.
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Security agencies, including representatives of the Department of State Services and the Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier-General N. N. Gambo, also assured participants of adequate protection for constituency projects against theft and vandalism.
