Nigeria, Nov. 13 -- The House of Representatives has mandated the formation of a special ad hoc committee to investigate the issue of abandoned federal government properties and buildings nationwide.

The directive followed a motion of urgent importance moved by Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) during Wednesday's plenary, highlighting what he described as a "colossal waste of public resources" due to long-neglected government assets.

In his presentation, Mr Chinda said a survey by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, as of 23 August 2021, identified approximately 11,866 federal government properties and buildings abandoned across the country, with an estimated value of over N20 trillion.

He noted that about 63 per cent of federal ...