Citizens' Priority Projects
Compact for Nigeria
2027–2028 · A 774-LGA People's Development Agenda for Accountable Federal, State and Local Government Budgeting
01 / Overview
What the Compact Is
The Citizens' Priority Projects Compact for Nigeria, 2027–2028 is a comprehensive, evidence-based citizens' accountability instrument covering all 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory. It was developed by the Budget Advocacy & Reforms Association (BRAss) in partnership with the Financial Planning Skills Institute (FPSI) to give Nigerian communities a documented, structured record of their priority development needs — and to give civil society, journalists, legislators, and citizens a tool for tracking whether those needs are addressed in the 2027 and 2028 federal, state, and local government budget cycles.
The Compact is not a government plan. It is a citizens' demand document — and also a justice document that names the specific massacres, oil spills, environmental catastrophes, cultural lootings, and failed resettlements that have shaped the development deficits of Nigeria's communities.
For each of the 775 LGA profiles, the Compact documents the LGA's development context; its 8–12 highest-priority development needs with evidence classification; a table of 12–15 priority projects with responsible government tiers, evidence basis, expected impact, suggested indicators, and CoBAC tracking requirements; a government responsibility matrix; and a community validation protocol.
Citizens' Demand Document
Provides Nigerian communities a structured record of their priority development needs and gives civil society, journalists, and legislators a tool for holding governments accountable across all 775 LGA profiles.
Justice Document
Names the specific massacres, oil spills, environmental catastrophes, cultural lootings, and failed resettlements that have shaped development deficits — because those histories are not separable from the infrastructure gaps they have produced.
02 / Methodology
Framework, Methodology & Structure
2.1 Project Priority Table Structure
Every LGA profile contains a priority project table with eight standardised columns: Project Number, Priority Project (title), Need Addressed, Responsible Government Tier, Evidence and Justification, Expected Impact, Suggested Indicator, and CoBAC Tracking Note. This structure ensures that each project is grounded in evidence, assigned to an accountable government tier, and linked to a measurable outcome that community monitors can track independently.
Template LGAs receive 12 standard projects calibrated to the state's primary agricultural and economic profile. Custom LGAs — the most significant LGA in each major city, heritage zone, oil community, or academic hub — receive 15 bespoke projects. Across 37 state documents, approximately 120 LGAs have custom profiles.
2.2 Evidence Classification
| Label | Standard | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| VERIFIED | Highest | Directly evidenced by government surveys, UNICEF, WHO, NBS MPI/NLSS, UNEP, academic literature, or peer-reviewed data. |
| Evidence-Informed Inference | High | Consistent with available evidence and analogous cases; not directly verified at LGA level but supported by sectoral and national data. |
| Community Reported | Moderate | Reported through community consultations, interviews, or local accounts; requires verification through formal survey. |
| Media Report | Lower | Based on credible media reporting; useful as trigger for investigation but requires independent verification. |
| Evidence Gap | Flagged | Need is suspected or logically inferred but no evidence base exists; flags a data gap that CoBAC or government should address as priority. |
2.3 CoBAC — Community Budget Accountability Committees
Community Budget Accountability Committees (CoBAC) are the primary implementation and oversight mechanism of the Compact. Each LGA profile specifies CoBAC tracking requirements for every priority project. CoBAC's mandate includes obtaining and publishing LGA budgets quarterly, photographically documenting project sites quarterly, cross-referencing NDDC allocations against delivery in oil states, conducting monthly water quality testing where oil contamination is a risk, tracking MOSOP-verified progress in Ogoni LGAs, and escalating non-delivery to the National Assembly, state legislatures, and international bodies where warranted.
CoBAC Functional Desks
Agricultural desk, water desk, health desk, education desk, environmental desk (oil and mining LGAs), heritage desk (cultural tourism LGAs), women's desk, youth desk, and security desk (high-risk LGAs).
Community Validation Protocol
Each LGA profile specifies which traditional institutions, civil society bodies, and specialist agencies must be engaged before project design is finalised — in a defined sequence and with explicit safety considerations.
03 / Scale & Scope
The Compact in Numbers
| Compact Metric | Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Average LGAs per State | ~21 | Ranging from 6 (FCT area councils) to 44 (Kano) |
| Evidence Classification Labels | 5 | [VERIFIED], [EVIDENCE-INFORMED INFERENCE], [EVIDENCE GAP], [COMMUNITY REPORTED], [MEDIA REPORT] |
| Government Responsibility Tiers | 5 | Federal, State, LGA, Joint (Multi-tier), Community/PPP |
| Community Validation Steps per LGA | 5 | Per profile; engages traditional governance and civil society |
| CoBAC Tracking Requirements | Per project | Quarterly reporting, photographic evidence, cross-referencing, escalation |
| Security Classifications Used | 5 | Elevated, Moderate-Elevated, Moderate, Low (rare); Elevated most common in SS and SE |
04 / Zone & State Summaries
Zone and State Summaries
The following six sections provide zone-level overviews and state-by-state summaries capturing LGA count, NPC 2006 population base, NBS MPI 2022 poverty rate, primary economic activity, security context, and the most significant signature projects. Full LGA-by-LGA profiles are contained in the companion state documents.
| # | State | Pop. | MPI 2022 | Security | Primary Economy | Compact Signature Projects & Themes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTH WEST ZONE │ 7 States │ 187 Local Government Areas — Most populous zone; highest aggregate poverty rates; severe infrastructure deficit; extraordinary cultural assets largely unrealised as economic assets. | ||||||
| 1 | Jigawa | 4.3M | 82% | Elevated | Millet; sorghum; rice; sesame; groundnut; Hadejia wetlands fishery | Dutse state capital enterprise hub; Hadejia-Jama'are wetlands conservation; Katagum corridor irrigation; state-wide WASH and PHC emergency rehabilitation |
| 2 | Kano | 9.4M | 79% | Elevated | Commerce; leather; groundnut; textiles; kola nut; Kano city industries | Kano Municipal (Emir; Kurmi Market; BUK/KUST enterprise); Dala (indigo dyeing heritage); leather and textile value chain revival; hisbah governance conflict-sensitive design |
| 3 | Katsina | 5.8M | 81% | Elevated (Banditry) | Millet; sorghum; groundnut; livestock; sesame | Katsina (Emir; Usman Dan Fodio heritage); Jibia (bandit-affected zone); IDP resettlement in 14+ LGAs; banditry conflict-sensitive design mandatory |
| 4 | Kebbi | 3.2M | 77% | Elevated | Rice; onion (Jega); sorghum; millet; fish (Argungu) | Birnin Kebbi; Argungu (UNESCO Fishing Festival); Kebbi-Sokoto rice corridor; Jega Onion branding and export platform; Kainji Lake community benefit |
| 5 | Sokoto | 3.7M | 80% | Elevated | Millet; sorghum; groundnut; leather; livestock; gum arabic | Sokoto (Sultan; UDUS; Caliphate heritage UNESCO nomination); Illela (Niger border trade); Caliphate leather heritage revival; gender-sensitive design throughout |
| 6 | Zamfara | 3.3M | 80% | Very Elevated (Banditry) | Millet; sorghum; gold mining; livestock; groundnut | Gusau (Emir; FUDUS); gold mining community benefit and formalisation; IDP return and resettlement in 12 LGAs; security monitoring as condition precedent |
| 7 | Kaduna | 6.1M | 68% | Elevated (S. Kaduna) | Maize; cotton; cassava; groundnut; livestock; mining; industry | Kaduna (Kajuru heritage conflict zone); Kafanchan (Southern Kaduna multi-ethnic reconciliation); Zaria (ABU; Emir of Zazzau); dedicated inter-ethnic mediation in 15+ LGAs; cotton textile revival |
| NORTH EAST ZONE │ 6 States │ 113 Local Government Areas — Epicentre of Boko Haram insurgency since 2009; ~2.5 million people remain displaced; post-conflict reconstruction is the primary development frame. | ||||||
| 1 | Adamawa | 3.2M | 72% | Elevated (Boko Haram legacy) | Maize; sorghum; cassava; cattle; rubber; fish | Yola (Lamido; MAUTECH); Hong/Gombi (IDP return); Toungo eco-tourism; dedicated IDP livelihood restoration; IITA/IRAD maize linkage |
| 2 | Bauchi | 4.7M | 77% | Elevated | Sorghum; millet; groundnut; cotton; livestock; Yankari eco-tourism | Bauchi (Emir; ATBU); Alkaleri (Yankari National Park gateway); Tafawa Balewa heritage; Yankari tourism infrastructure; groundnut oil processing |
| 3 | Borno | 4.2M | 74% | Very Elevated (Boko Haram) | Millet; sorghum; groundnut; livestock; fish (Lake Chad); leather | Maiduguri (Shehu of Borno; UNIMAID); Bama; Gwoza; Dikwa; Lake Chad fisheries reconstruction; IDP return in 20+ LGAs; conflict reconstruction priority throughout |
| 4 | Gombe | 2.4M | 73% | Moderate-Elevated | Sorghum; millet; groundnut; cassava; livestock; cotton | Gombe (Emir; FUG); Kaltungo (Tangale heritage); WASH emergency in all 11 LGAs; cotton textile revival; sorghum processing hub |
| 5 | Taraba | 2.3M | 69% | Elevated (HF conflict) | Mango; cassava; maize; yam; cattle; rubber; tea (Mambilla) | Jalingo; Wukari (Jukun heritage); Mambilla Plateau (tea; tourism; highest point in Nigeria); dedicated herder-farmer mediation in 12 LGAs |
| 6 | Yobe | 2.3M | 76% | Very Elevated (Boko Haram) | Millet; groundnut; cowpea; livestock; fish | Damaturu (Emir; FUY); Nguru Wetlands ecology; Potiskum commercial hub; IDP return in 15+ LGAs; Lake Chad fisheries cooperative |
| NORTH CENTRAL ZONE & FCT │ 7 States │ 120 Local Government Areas — Most geographically and ethnically diverse zone; Benue paradox of agricultural richness and herder-farmer conflict disruption. | ||||||
| 1 | Benue | 4.3M | 57% | Elevated (HF conflict) | Yam; cassava; sorghum; beniseed; rice; fish; cattle | Makurdi (Tor Tiv; BSUM); Gboko (Tiv cultural heartland); Gwer West (herder-farmer epicentre); dedicated Tiv-Fulani mediation in 18+ LGAs; Benue River fisheries cooperative |
| 2 | FCT-Abuja | 1.4M | 30% | Moderate | Civil service; commerce; construction; agriculture | AMAC (federal capital services); Gwagwalada (peri-urban food systems; UNFPA); Abaji (cassava, maize corridor); area council budget transparency as primary focus |
| 3 | Kogi | 3.3M | 60% | Moderate-Elevated | Yam; cassava; cement; fish; iron ore (Ajaokuta) | Lokoja (Attah Igala; Niger-Benue confluence heritage); Okene (Ebira; cement economy); Ajaokuta Steel community benefit accountability |
| 4 | Kwara | 2.4M | 53% | Moderate | Cassava; yam; maize; cotton; livestock; shea butter; textile | Ilorin (Emir; UNILORIN; Textile heritage); Offa market; UNILORIN innovation hub; Ilorin textile revival; shea butter export platform |
| 5 | Nasarawa | 1.9M | 63% | Moderate-Elevated (HF) | Cassava; yam; sorghum; sesame; solid minerals; fish | Lafia (Nasarawa State Univ.); Keffi (Federal Poly Nasarawa); Akwanga (Eggon-Fulani conflict zone); solid minerals community benefit accountability |
| 6 | Niger | 3.9M | 63% | Moderate-Elevated | Cassava; yam; sorghum; rice; fish; hydroelectric power | Minna (FUTMINNA; Sultan Bello heritage); Bida (Etsu Nupe; Bida Glass and brass crafts); New Bussa (Kainji Dam community benefit; relocation justice) |
| 7 | Plateau | 3.2M | 56% | Elevated (Jos conflict) | Potato; vegetables; tin (mining heritage); cassava; maize; fish | Jos North (Gbong Gwom Jos; UNIJOS; multi-ethnic reconciliation); Barkin Ladi (most conflict-affected LGA); Shendam (Plateau South agriculture; Angas heritage) |
| SOUTH WEST ZONE │ 6 States │ 137 Local Government Areas — Most economically productive zone outside the oil sector; highest concentration of federal universities and research institutions. | ||||||
| 1 | Ekiti | 2.4M | 50% | Moderate | Cocoa; yam; cassava; palm oil; poultry; civil service | Ado-Ekiti (Ewi; EKSU); Ikole (cocoa belt); cocoa value chain revival with CRIN; Ekiti Knowledge Economy Hub; Ewi heritage tourism |
| 2 | Lagos | 9.0M | 25% | Moderate-Elevated | Finance; commerce; manufacturing; film (Nollywood); maritime; logistics | Lagos Island (Oba of Lagos; Kuramo Waters); Ikeja (industrial; LASUTH); Alimosho (most populous LGA in Nigeria); Eti-Osa (Lekki-Ikoyi; Atlantic coast); coastal protection; urban poverty equity |
| 3 | Ogun | 3.7M | 44% | Moderate | Cocoa; cassava; clay; manufacturing; limestone | Abeokuta (Alake of Egbaland; FUNAAB; Olumo Rock); Sagamu industrial corridor community benefit; Olumo Rock heritage tourism; cocoa revival with CRIN |
| 4 | Ondo | 3.4M | 49% | Moderate-Elevated | Cocoa; cassava; palm oil; bitumen; rubber; fish | Akure (Deji; FUTA); Okitipupa (bitumen zone; Ilaje fisherfolk); bitumen community benefit accountability; Ilaje coastal protection and fisheries |
| 5 | Osun | 3.4M | 52% | Moderate | Cocoa; cassava; yam; palm oil; gold (artisanal); cultural tourism | Osogbo (Ataoja; Osun-Osogbo UNESCO Sacred Grove; UNIOSUN); Ile-Ife (Ooni; OAU; Ife Bronze heritage; Yoruba origin); Ede (LAUTECH) |
| 6 | Oyo | 5.6M | 50% | Moderate-Elevated | Cassava; yam; cocoa; tobacco; livestock; commerce; IITA research | Ibadan North (Olubadan; UI; UCH; Ibadan Museum); Oyo (Alaafin; Old Oyo National Park); Ogbomoso (Soun; LAUTECH); IITA agri-enterprise linkage; Old Oyo National Park eco-tourism |
| SOUTH EAST ZONE │ 5 States │ 95 Local Government Areas — Heartland of the Igbo people; shaped by civil war legacy and ongoing IPOB sit-at-home disruptions. IPOB scheduling sensitivity noted in every SE LGA profile. | ||||||
| 1 | Abia | 2.8M | 65% | Elevated (IPOB) | Manufacturing (Aba); palm oil; cassava; rubber | Aba South (Ariaria Market; manufacturing; NAFDAC export); Arochukwu (Long Juju oracle heritage); Umuahia North (National War Museum; Biafra civil war memory) |
| 2 | Anambra | 4.2M | 58% | Elevated (IPOB) | Commerce (Onitsha Main Market; Nnewi manufacturing); palm oil; cassava; Innoson | Awka South (UNIZIK; Awka blacksmithing); Nnewi North (Innoson IVM; NAUTH; "Japan of Africa"); Onitsha North (Niger flooding); Aguata (Igbo-Ukwu 9th-century bronzes; repatriation advocacy) |
| 3 | Ebonyi | 2.2M | 73% | Elevated (IPOB; Izzi-Ezza) | Rice (Abakaliki brand); cassava; brine salt; lead-zinc mining | Abakaliki (EBSU; FMC; brine salt heritage; rice processing); Afikpo North (masquerade heritage); Izzi-Ezza conflict-sensitive design in 3 LGAs |
| 4 | Enugu | 3.3M | 65% | Elevated (IPOB) | Coal (heritage); cassava; yam; palm oil; rice; UNN knowledge economy | Enugu North (Iva Valley 1949 massacre memorial; Coal City heritage; UNTH); Nsukka (UNN 1960; Adichie literary heritage); Oji River (post-coal diversification) |
| 5 | Imo | 3.9M | 68% | Elevated (IPOB; security crisis) | Palm oil; cassava; rubber; FUTO tech; Ohaji oil; Oguta Lake | Owerri Municipal (FUTO; Mbari cultural heritage); Ohaji/Egbema (Shell SPDC; NDDC; oil spill remediation); Oguta Lake eco-tourism; Flora Nwapa Efuru literary heritage |
| SOUTH SOUTH ZONE │ 6 States │ 123 Local Government Areas — Contains the Niger Delta; source of the overwhelming majority of Nigeria's petroleum revenue; simultaneously among the country's most severely impoverished and environmentally damaged communities. | ||||||
| 1 | Akwa Ibom | 3.9M | 57% | Moderate | Oil (ExxonMobil); cassava; palm oil; Ibom Air; Maritime Academy; raffia craft | Uyo (UNIUYO; Ibom Air linkage); Eket (ExxonMobil community benefit; NDDC; creek ecosystem); Oron (Ekpu ancestral figures; Maritime Academy); Ikot Ekpene (Raffia City) |
| 2 | Bayelsa | 1.7M | 69% | Elevated | Oil (SPDC; Agip; Forcados); fishing; cassava; boat access only for most LGAs | Yenagoa (Isaac Boro memorial; BSU; Ijaw National Congress); Nembe (Creek Trunkline — major spills; Akassa Raid); Ogbia (Oloibiri 1956 first oil well; reparations programme); Brass (NLNG; Agip) |
| 3 | Cross River | 2.9M | 60% | Moderate | Tourism (Calabar Carnival; CRNP; Obudu); cocoa; rubber; cassava | Calabar Municipal (Carnival; UNICAL; Efik heritage; Slave History Museum; Mary Slessor); Akamkpa (Cross River Gorilla ~250-300 remaining; CRNP eco-tourism); Obudu Mountain Resort; Bakassi (ICJ resettlement justice) |
| 4 | Delta | 4.1M | 65% | Elevated (Warri zone) | Oil (Shell; Chevron; Agip; WRPC); palm oil; rubber; cassava; timber heritage | Warri South (Urhobo-Itsekiri-Ijaw reconciliation as primary project); Oshimili South/Asaba (1967 massacre memorial; Federal recognition); Ughelli North (Shell; gas flaring monitoring); Sapele |
| 5 | Edo | 3.2M | 58% | Moderate-Elevated | Rubber (RRIN HQ); palm oil; cassava; UNIBEN; Kingdom of Benin | Oredo (Benin Bronzes repatriation; EMOWAA/Adjaye Associates; Igun Street 600-year bronze guild; UNESCO nomination); Ikpoba-Okha (UNIBEN; UBTH); Etsako West (Auchi); Ovia North East (RRIN; Okomu National Park) |
| 6 | Rivers | 5.2M | 57% | Elevated (Most complex) | Oil (all majors; NLNG); UNIPORT; Port Harcourt commerce; Ogoni agriculture (impacted) | Port Harcourt (UNIPORT; multi-company oil benefit framework; NDDC full audit); Khana (Ken Saro-Wiwa/Ogoni 9 memorial; HYPREP acceleration; MOSOP-verified); Bonny (NLNG community benefit); Obio/Akpor (most populous LGA) |
05 / Structural Patterns
Cross-Cutting Themes Across the Compact
Twelve cross-cutting themes emerge consistently across the 775 LGA profiles, regardless of zone or state. These themes represent the most important structural development challenges and justice narratives in Nigeria's LGA-level development landscape.
| Cross-Cutting Theme | Scope | Description & Compact Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure Deficit | All 36 states plus FCT | Roads, water, PHC, and schools are deficit across every state; documented with VERIFIED evidence across >90% of rural LGAs. |
| Agricultural Processing Gap | All 36 states plus FCT | Primary produce is sold raw in almost every agricultural LGA; NIFOR, RRIN, CRIN, WARDA, and RMRDC identified as primary processing rehabilitation partners. |
| NDDC Accountability | All 6 SS states; 123 LGAs | NDDC allocations cross-referenced in every oil-producing LGA; CoBAC mandated to document all NDDC projects and escalate non-delivery to the National Assembly. |
| Knowledge Economy Deficit | Federal and state university towns nationwide | Brain drain crisis across UNIPORT, UNIBEN, UNIZIK, UNN, UNIUYO, OAU, UI, and others; dedicated innovation hub and enterprise ecosystem projects for each university town. |
| Women's Cooperative Gap | All 36 states plus FCT | Women in agricultural, fisheries, craft, and commercial value chains lack cooperative structures throughout Nigeria; 300–500+ women per LGA as standard target across all templates. |
| Cultural Heritage Justice | Multiple states | Benin Bronzes (Edo); Iva Valley massacre (Enugu); Asaba massacre (Delta); Ken Saro-Wiwa/Ogoni 9 (Rivers); Igbo-Ukwu bronzes (Anambra); Arochukwu (Abia); Oloibiri reparations (Bayelsa); Bakassi resettlement (Cross River). |
| Environmental Justice | SS and SE oil states | HYPREP Ogoniland (Rivers); Nembe Creek Trunkline spills (Bayelsa); Shell Ughelli oil spills (Delta); gas flaring monitoring in all oil LGAs. |
| Herder-Farmer Conflict | North Central and NE | Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kaduna (S.), Plateau, Zamfara, Yobe and border LGAs; conflict-sensitive project design and dedicated mediation projects standard. |
| Security-Constrained Implementation | SE, SS, NE | IPOB sit-at-home (all 5 SE states); banditry (Zamfara/Katsina/Sokoto/Kebbi); Boko Haram legacy (Borno/Yobe/Adamawa); security-adjusted scheduling explicit in design. |
| Biodiversity and Conservation | Cross River, Edo, Imo | Cross River Gorilla (~250-300 remaining; CRNP; Akamkpa); Okomu National Park (Edo); Oguta Lake (Imo; Flora Nwapa heritage); Obudu Mountain Resort (Cross River). |
| Post-Industrial Diversification | Enugu, Delta, Bayelsa | Oji River and Udi coal LGAs (Enugu); Sapele SPML plywood heritage (Delta); Oloibiri post-oil (Bayelsa); dedicated economic diversification with limestone, industrial heritage tourism, and craft economy components. |
| Carnival and Tourism Economy | Cross River, Edo, Lagos, Osun | Calabar Carnival; Obudu Mountain Resort; Lagos entertainment economy; Osun-Osogbo UNESCO Grove; Benin City/EMOWAA; NTDC as standard partner across all major heritage tourism projects. |
06 / Institutional Architecture
Key Institutional Partners in the Compact
The following institutions appear as primary project partners across multiple states and zones. The Compact's evidence base and institutional architecture draw on this network.
| Institution | Full Name | Scope | Role in the Compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDDC | Niger Delta Development Commission | 6 SS states; 123 LGAs | Cross-referenced in every oil LGA; primary accountability target |
| HYPREP | Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project | Rivers (4 Ogoni LGAs) | Primary project in Gokana, Khana, Eleme, Tai; UNEP 2011 implementation |
| NIFOR | Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research | SW, SE, SS states | Oil palm rehabilitation partner in every palm oil LGA |
| RRIN | Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria | Edo, Delta, Cross River, Rivers, Ondo, Ogun, SW | Primary rubber rehabilitation partner; headquartered Edo |
| CRIN | Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria | Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Kogi, Cross River | Primary cocoa rehabilitation partner in all cocoa LGAs |
| WARDA/Africa Rice | West Africa Rice Development Association | Ebonyi, Kebbi, Niger, Taraba, Cross River | Primary rice value chain partner in rice-producing states |
| NTDC | Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation | Multiple states nationwide | Standard heritage tourism development partner throughout |
| NIMASA | Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency | Coastal SS and SE LGAs | Fisheries development; maritime training; coastal safety |
| NESREA | Nigerian Environmental Standards and Regulations Agency | All oil and industrial LGAs | Primary environmental monitoring and remediation partner |
| CRNP | Cross River National Park | Cross River (Akamkpa; Boki) | Cross River Gorilla conservation; eco-tourism; community benefit |
| EMOWAA | Edo Museum of West African Art | Edo (Oredo) | Benin Bronzes repatriation; Adjaye Associates design; Legacy Restoration Trust |
| MOSOP | Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People | Rivers (4 Ogoni LGAs) | Primary community validation body for all Ogoni LGA projects |
| CBDA | Cross River Basin Development Authority | Ebonyi, Cross River | Cross River Basin irrigation; rice production enhancement |
| ABU | Ahmadu Bello University Zaria | Kaduna (Zaria) | Innovation hub; academic heritage; enterprise ecosystem |
| Igun Guild | Igun Eronmwon bronze casting guild | Edo (Oredo) | UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; 600-year bronze casting tradition |
07 / Historical Acknowledgement
Justice Projects — Historical Acknowledgement & Reparative Development
The Compact identifies eleven specific sites of historical injustice or ongoing justice deficit that require not just development investment but formal acknowledgement, reparation, or institutional accountability as a condition for genuine community development. These are justice obligations of the Nigerian state whose non-fulfilment structurally undermines development in the affected communities.
| Justice Site / Case | State / LGA | Status | Compact Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benin Bronzes Repatriation (1897 looting) | Edo / Oredo | Partial returns underway | Primary project 1 in Oredo; EMOWAA museum (Adjaye Associates); Igun Street guild conservation; British Museum Act constraint noted |
| Ken Saro-Wiwa and Ogoni 9 (executed 10 Nov 1995) | Rivers / Khana | No federal memorial; HYPREP very slow | Dedicated Ogoni 9 memorial in Bori; HYPREP acceleration as primary project in all 4 Ogoni LGAs; MOSOP as primary validation body; Shell $15.5M settlement noted as inadequate |
| UNEP 2011 Ogoniland Assessment (oil pollution) | Rivers / 4 Ogoni LGAs | HYPREP established 2016; very slow progress | HYPREP full acceleration primary project in Gokana, Khana, Eleme, Tai; monthly water hydrocarbon testing mandatory; UNEP 2011 recommendations cited as accountability benchmark |
| Asaba Massacre (7 October 1967; 700–1,000 killed) | Delta / Oshimili South | No federal recognition; inadequate memorial | Primary project 1 in Oshimili South; Federal Ministry of Culture AND Justice cited as responsible; formal federal recognition requirement |
| Oloibiri Reparations (first oil well 1956) | Bayelsa / Ogbia | Oloibiri remains in extreme poverty; no reparations | Heritage and justice memorial as primary project; dedicated reparations programme; NNPC and Federal Ministry of Petroleum as responsible agencies |
| Iva Valley Massacre (18 November 1949; 21 miners killed) | Enugu / Enugu North | No adequate memorial; incomplete labour history recognition | Primary heritage project in Enugu North; NLC as partner; federal recognition via Ministry of Labour; Iva Valley as anchor for Coal City Heritage Tourism |
| Nembe Creek Trunkline Oil Spills (2008–2009; 2020) | Bayelsa / Nembe | ~11,000 tonnes spilled; remediation grossly inadequate | Full SPDC liability enforcement as primary project; NESREA and Amnesty International crosscheck; NDDC full audit escalated to National Assembly |
| Bakassi ICJ Resettlement (handover 2006–2008) | Cross River / Bakassi | New Bakassi resettlement inadequate; livelihoods lost | Full resettlement audit and justice programme as primary project; Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible; Nigeria-Cameroon Mixed Commission monitoring |
| Igbo-Ukwu Bronzes (international collections) | Anambra / Aguata | Some objects in British Museum and other collections | International collections repatriation advocacy as dedicated project; Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs; UNESCO; precedent of Benin Bronzes repatriation cited |
| Benin Bronzes — Igun Street Succession Crisis | Edo / Oredo | UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; succession at risk | Dedicated guild conservation and apprenticeship project; export platform development; NAFDAC certification; NTDC marketing |
| Southern Kaduna Ethnic Violence (ongoing) | Kaduna / Multiple LGAs | Recurring violence; hundreds killed per cycle | Dedicated inter-ethnic mediation as primary project in 15+ Southern Kaduna LGAs; Kafanchan multi-ethnic reconciliation framework; separate community consultations before joint programming required |
08 / How It Works
Implementation: How the Compact Works
The Compact is designed to function in alignment with Nigeria's federal and state budget cycles. The 2027 and 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Budget Call Circulars are the primary budget instruments through which community priorities documented in the Compact can be incorporated into appropriation bills.
At the federal level, the Compact supports engagement with the National Assembly's Appropriations Committees and the Finance Committee, with particular focus on NDDC appropriations (for South South LGAs), universal basic education and health funding (for all states), and the Federal Ministry of Culture's heritage and justice programmes. At the state level, each companion state document provides a detailed project list that state Budget Offices and Houses of Assembly can use as a citizens' demand document.
Community Budget Accountability Committees operate at the LGA level with functional desks as specified in each LGA profile. The core CoBAC mandate is: obtain and publish all LGA budgets within 30 days of appropriation; photograph all project sites quarterly; cross-reference all NDDC and other federal agency allocations against delivery; conduct monthly water quality testing in oil-contaminated LGAs; and escalate all verified non-delivery cases to state Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Units, the National Assembly, and — where environmental or human rights violations are involved — to NESREA, NOSDRA, NUPRC, and international oversight bodies.
CoBAC is not a protest movement. It is an organised, professional, evidence-based accountability system whose primary tool is documentation, publication, and structured engagement with formal government accountability mechanisms. The Compact provides the roadmap; CoBAC provides the accountability.
CoBAC monitoring must meet the same evidence standards applied in the Compact's needs assessment. Tracking reports must distinguish between VERIFIED (photographic evidence, official government data, independent surveys), Evidence-Informed Inference (consistent with available evidence but not directly verified), and Community Reported (community accounts requiring verification).
CoBAC must never claim delivery of projects it has not directly verified, and must explicitly flag Evidence Gap cases where government has not provided tracking data.
09 / Closing Note
The Scope and the Stakes
The Citizens' Priority Projects Compact for Nigeria, 2027–2028 documents 775 community development realities across a country of more than 200 million people. From the millet-growing communities of Kebbi's Suru LGA to the fishing communities of Andoni on the Rivers State coast; from the bronze casters of Igun Street in Benin City to the banditry-affected farmers of Maru in Zamfara; from the displaced families of New Bakassi to the oil-contaminated communities of Ogoniland — the Compact holds these realities together in one document because they are together the lived reality of one country.
The Compact does not pretend that 9,500 priority projects will all be funded in two budget cycles. It does insist that every community's priorities have been documented with dignity, grounded in evidence, assigned to an accountable institution, and linked to a measurable indicator.
If governments deliver on half the projects, that is hundreds of thousands of Nigerians with clean water, functioning PHCs, rehabilitated schools, and income-generating processing hubs.
If governments fail to deliver, the Compact provides the documented baseline against which that failure can be named, published, and challenged.
What the Compact ultimately demonstrates is something the data has always shown but that development programmes have often obscured: Nigeria does not lack resources. It lacks accountable, community-grounded investment of the resources it has. The 2027–2028 budget cycles are an opportunity to change that. The Citizens' Priority Projects Compact is the citizens' contribution to making that change possible.
Testimonials from our Clients & Partners
Local Government Official, Community Partner
Director of Community Affairs, Partner Foundation
