Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to evidence based planning, accountability, and transparency decision-making to drive the national development plan. This was contained in a statement signed by Julie Osagie-Jacobs, Director, Information and Public Relations.
This was made known at the commencement of a two-day Validation Workshop recently in Abuja on the Evaluation Report of Federal Government Capital Projects and Programmes implemented by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the South-East and South-West between 2021 and 2023.
Declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Deborah Odoh, represented by the Director of Food and Nutrition Department, Mrs. Clementine Okoro said the evaluation marks a critical step towards strengthening public sector performance and ensuring government investments deliver measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
She noted that the exercise comes at a strategic time as the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021–2025 has been concluded and the NDP 2026–2030 is nearing completion. According to her, the findings will provide credible evidence to shape future policies, improve project implementation, strengthen accountability, and support the successful delivery of Nigeria’s long-term development priorities.
“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 the National Development Plan 2026–2030 and ensure that public investments achieve greater impact,” she stated.
In her welcome remarks, the Director of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Mrs. Olasunbo Ayinde-Yakub, described the validation workshop as a crucial stage in the evaluation process, noting that it provides stakeholders with the opportunity to validate findings, enrich the evidence base, and ensure the recommendations are practical and implementable.
She explained that the independent evaluation assessed selected Federal Government capital projects across the six geopolitical zones using internationally recognised criteria, including relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability and coherence, to determine their contribution to infrastructure development, economic diversification, human capital development and improved service delivery.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Vessels of Gold and Silver Nigeria Limited, Mr. Atta Yakubu presented the evaluation report for the South-East, while the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kadel Infra Global Services Limited, Mr. Kayode Olugbenga presented findings for the South-West, highlighting achievements, implementation challenges, and recommendations for improved project delivery.
The workshop brought together representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, development partners, consultants and other stakeholders to validate the reports before their final adoption, reinforcing the Federal Government’s commitment to results-based governance for sustainable national development.
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