Nigerian Lawmakers Accused of Using Streetlights, Empowerment Schemes to Divert N100 Billion Annually — Civic Watchdog

A civic tech organization, MonITNG, has accused Nigerian federal lawmakers of diverting over N100 billion yearly through fraudulent constituency projects, using schemes like solar-powered streetlights and empowerment programs as cover for systemic corruption.

In a statement released Thursday, MonITNG founder Uadamen Ilevbaoje described how the original intent of constituency projects now known as Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs) has been eroded by political exploitation and misuse of public funds.

He revealed that legislators are awarded N100 billion annually to nominate development projects across the country’s 774 local governments. However, most of the projects, according to him, are either abandoned, substandard, or nonexistent, while lawmakers and preferred contractors enrich themselves.

Initially focused on vague “empowerment” schemes, such as envelope cash handouts and small-scale training, lawmakers have now shifted toward more visually impactful projects like solar-powered streetlights which often fail within months, despite inflated costs and little public benefit.

Constituency projects were introduced in 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo to close the development gap between urban and rural areas by giving lawmakers direct influence over grassroots initiatives. Over time, these projects have come under scrutiny for widespread abuse, lack of transparency, and poor implementation.

MonITNG also highlighted a disturbing trend of project duplication across different budget lines, such as using ZIP and Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) allocations for the same initiative. An example cited involved a cassava training program in Abia State receiving N75 million under ZIP and another N96.5 million under ERGP.

In one case, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture an agency unrelated to electrification was assigned a N210 million solar streetlight project, raising serious concerns about oversight, technical feasibility, and accountability.

“What started as a pathway to inclusive development has been transformed into a vehicle for systemic abuse,” Ilevbaoje said.

“Lawmakers now exploit both ZIP and ERGP frameworks by securing funds for the same project from two sources within the same ministry.”

“Even when projects are executed, they are often of poor quality — roads collapse weeks after completion, school blocks are left half-built, and materials used are substandard,” he added.