Auditor-General Flags N124bn in Contract Irregularities Across Federal MDAs

By Victor Idajili

The Auditor-General for the Federation has uncovered contract and procurement irregularities worth N124.12 billion in several Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies for 2024.

The violations include irregular contract awards, breaches of procurement due process, and payments for jobs that were not done or were poorly done.

The findings were contained in the Auditor-General’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in MDAs for the year ended December 31, 2024. The report, dated July 17, 2026, has been sent to the National Assembly in line with constitutional requirements for auditing public accounts.

The report identified three major areas:
N76.96bn in irregularities in the award of contracts by 29 MDAs. The National Population Commission recorded the highest amount with N10.97bn.
N19.91bn in contracts awarded in violation of due process by 15 MDAs. The National Agricultural Land Development Authority accounted for N14.70bn of this.
N27.25bn paid for jobs or contracts that were not executed or not properly executed. The National Institute of Construction Technology and Management, Uromi, topped this category with N11.36bn.

The Auditor-General cited provisions of the Financial Regulations 2009 and the Public Procurement Act 2007, which require open competitive bidding, proper approvals, and that no payment should be made for services not yet performed.

The report described the findings as “cross-cutting issues” and “pervasive control deficiencies” found across multiple MDAs. It said the infractions pose serious risks to public financial management and accountability.

The Auditor-General noted that highlighting these recurring violations is to help the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly strengthen oversight and prevent a repeat.