.…Says don’t weep for us
Mega Project expert, Jimoh Ibrahim, and a speaker at the 2024 Oxford Major Programme Management Conference, has advised global stakeholders not to lament Nigeria’s 11,866 abandoned mega projects.
Ibrahim, a Senator from Ondo South Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate, encouraged them to view this situation as a significant opportunity for sustainable development.
He noted that had these mega projects been successful, Nigeria might resemble the United Kingdom.
However, he pointed to Ajaokuta stel company, where the government has spent $11 billion over 43 years without producing steel.
Ibrahim said the site has remained abandoned for those 43 years.
He also cited examples such as Malabo, Sure P, SAT One, and the National Library as part of Nigeria’s failed mega projects.
“The mega projects consistently brings complexities, as even the most prudent governments occasionally invest state funds in questionable initiatives.
“The Nigeria challenge primarily pertains to the difficulties in translating the benefits of mega projects into value creation,” Ibrahim said
He urged the Nigerian government to prioritise completing abandoned megaprojects, requesting the Tinubu administration to designate all unused projects as “National Failed Projects” and to take steps to complete some of them.
Ibrahim asserted that only operational mega projects can mitigate Nigeria’s ethnic diversity.
He referenced the Akpabio Stadium, Jonathan’s successful railway, and Abuja and Lagos airports as remarkable successes of National Unity.
In return, the University of Oxford gave Ibrahim a certificate of appreciation and extended congratulations on his status as a proud alumnus of Oxford.
Ibrahim is globally celebrated as the first-ever Business Doctorate graduate of the University of Cambridge.
Furthermore, his successful completion of the PhD in modern war and foresight in establishing the proposed University of Fortune in Nigeria showcased Ibrahim’s pioneering book on African mega projects at the conference.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim is an alumnus of the MSc in Major Programme Management at the Said Business School of the University of Oxford.
