FRC and Quantity Surveyors Sign MoU to Combat Abuse of MDAs’ Contract Awards and Procurement Irregularities

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has reaffirmed its commitment to offer forensic cost‑auditing expertise to the federal government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The goal is to curb contract inflation, correct value misrepresentation, and expose procurement irregularities, particularly during the high‑risk stages of pre‑appropriation and Medium‑Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) reviews.

During the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIQS and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) in Abuja over the weekend, NIQS President Dr. Aminu Mohammed Bashir assured that the Institute would provide the necessary cost intelligence for capital projects.

The FRC, created under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007, is tasked with promoting macroeconomic stability, ensuring transparency and accountability in public finance, and enforcing prudent management of national resources.

In a statement from FRC Deputy Director, Strategic Communications Directorate, Bede Ogueri Anyanwu, the NIQS president highlighted the need for prudent and transparent public expenditure, noting that professional cost intelligence is essential for achieving this objective.

Bashir described the relationship between the FRC and NIQS as rooted in a shared conviction that public resources must be managed with discipline, transparency, and professional rigor. He recalled that the first MoU, signed on 22 October 2021, formalised this conviction, and that the current agreement seeks to renew and deepen the collaboration.

According to Bashir, quantity surveyors operate at the critical intersection where public funds are either safeguarded or lost. They measure costs, verify values, detect inflationary practices, and provide forensic evidence when contracts have been manipulated, thereby supporting accountability and transparency.

He reiterated that the FRC’s mandate to ensure prudent and transparent public expenditure cannot be fully realized without professional cost intelligence for capital projects, describing the partnership as a functional necessity rather than a matter of convenience.

The NIQS will continue to support the commission’s mandate through joint physical verification exercises, ensuring that projects reported in MDA budgets and expenditure returns accurately reflect ground realities. The Institute will also offer forensic cost‑auditing to detect contract inflation, value misrepresentation, and procurement irregularities, and will contribute during pre‑appropriation and MTEF review stages when fiscal risks are highest.

Bashir pledged the Institute’s support in delivering specialized capacity‑building programmes for FRC staff in areas such as construction economics, capital project cost management, procurement integrity, and forensic analysis of infrastructure expenditure.

Earlier in his remarks, Acting FRC Chairman Mr. Charles Chukwuemeka Abana expressed appreciation to NIQS leadership for the goodwill shown following his recent appointment as acting head of the Commission. He underscored the cordial and productive relationship between the two institutions over the years and congratulated Bashir on his election as NIQS President.

Abana described his emergence as a reflection of his professional competence, wealth of experience, and the confidence placed in him by NIQS members. He noted that the partnership between the FRC and NIQS has remained mutually beneficial and strategically important in promoting transparency, accountability, prudence, and value‑for‑money principles in public financial management.

He recalled that the first MoU, signed on 22 October 2021, significantly strengthened the Commission’s capital project verification exercises through NIQS’s consistent technical expertise and professional support. He commended NIQS for nominating competent professionals to participate in nationwide verification exercises, thereby enhancing the quality, credibility, and effectiveness of the process.