The Federal Government has begun validating the evaluation report on Federal Government capital projects and programmes implemented by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in the South-East and South-West between 2021 and 2023.

The validation is to determine their contribution to infrastructure development, economic diversification, human capital development and improved service delivery to support future project implementation.

Speaking at the opening of a two-day validation workshop in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Deborah Odoh, said the validation was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to evidence-based planning, accountability and transparent decision-making to drive the national development plan.

The permanent secretary, who was represented by the Director of the Food and Nutrition Department, Clementine Okoro, said the evaluation marked 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 while the NDP 2026–2030 is nearing completion.

She said findings would 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 NDP 2026–2030 and ensure that public investments achieve greater impact,” she stated.

The Director of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Olasunbo Ayinde-Yakub, described the validation workshop as a crucial stage in the evaluation process, noting that it provided 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, Atta Yakubu, presented the evaluation report for the South-East, while Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kadel Infra Global Services Limited, Kayode Olugbenga, presented findings for the South-West, highlighting achievements, implementation challenges and recommendations for improved project delivery.

The workshop brought together representatives of MDAs, 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.