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The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has rejected reports by Sahara Reporters and Secret Reporters alleging financial impropriety in the Agency’s handling of the ongoing construction of the NASENI Campus in Abuja.
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In a statement issued by its Director of Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, the Agency described the reports as “false” and “malicious,” arguing that the publications created misleading impressions about the payment of mobilisation funds to CGC Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling the project.
The dispute centres on a N10.648 billion mobilisation payment, representing 30 per cent of the contract sum, which NASENI says was made in accordance with Nigeria’s public procurement framework.
NASENI Explains N10.648bn Mobilisation Payment
According to NASENI, Secret Reporters incorrectly suggested that the Agency hurriedly paid 30 per cent of the contract value to CGC Nigeria Limited in December 2025 to “mop up funds.”
NASENI rejected that characterisation, saying the payment followed the required procurement and approval processes.
The Agency also challenged a separate report by Sahara Reporters which, according to NASENI, questioned the payment on the basis of a 15 per cent mobilisation limit.
NASENI said that position relied on an outdated interpretation of the procurement rules, noting that the Finance Act 2020 amended the Public Procurement Act 2007 to increase the maximum permissible mobilisation fee for public contracts from 15 per cent to 30 per cent.
Agency Cites Finance Act 2020
NASENI specifically referred to the amended provisions of the Public Procurement Act contained in the Finance Act 2020.
According to the Agency, the amended provision permits a mobilisation fee of not more than 30 per cent to be paid to a supplier or contractor, provided the payment is backed by an unconditional bank guarantee or insurance bond issued by an institution acceptable to the procuring entity.
NASENI said the payment to CGC Nigeria Limited therefore fell within the statutory ceiling and was supported by a bank guarantee from a reputable Nigerian commercial bank.
The Agency argued that the mobilisation was consequently consistent with the procurement requirements governing public contracts.
FEC Approved NASENI Campus Contract
NASENI said the process leading to the construction contract began in 2025, when the Agency sought consultancy from reputable and qualified companies for the development of its proposed campus.
The project is being developed at Abuja Technology Village, Lugbe, Abuja, FCT, as a flagship Science, Technology and Innovation complex intended to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
CGC Nigeria Limited emerged as the contractor after meeting the technical and financial requirements of the procurement process, according to NASENI.
The Agency said the company was also issued a Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Certificate of No Objection to the contract, while the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the award in November 2025.
Following the approval, NASENI said CGC Nigeria Limited was mobilised with 30 per cent of the contract sum to enable it to commence work at the project site.
NASENI: Due Process Was Followed
NASENI maintained that the procurement and mobilisation process complied with the applicable public procurement framework.
The Agency said it considered the payment necessary to facilitate the contractor’s movement to the site and commencement of construction, while noting that the required financial safeguards were in place.
“NASENI follows all due process in awarding public contracts as stated in Finance Act, 2020, which amended the Procurement Act, 2007,” the Agency said.
NASENI also criticised the two media organisations for publishing the allegations without, according to the Agency, first seeking clarification from its management.
The Agency urged journalists and media organisations to seek clarification from government agencies before publishing reports involving public procurement and financial transactions.
Campus Designed to Move Innovation From Labs to Markets
Beyond the controversy surrounding the mobilisation payment, NASENI said construction of the campus is progressing steadily and remains central to its broader innovation and industrialisation objectives.
The Agency describes the facility as an intervention designed to address a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem: helping promising ideas move beyond research and prototypes into commercially viable products, businesses and industries.
When completed, the campus is expected to include research laboratories, advanced prototyping and fabrication facilities, co-working spaces and collaborative learning facilities.
These facilities are intended to bring innovators, researchers, engineers and industry closer together within a shared environment.
NASENI’s 3Cs: Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation
The Agency said the campus is being developed around its 3Cs framework of Creation, Collaboration and Commercialization.
The concept is intended to provide innovators with a pathway from the development of ideas and technologies through prototyping and testing to eventual market deployment.
NASENI said the infrastructure would also support innovators emerging from programmes such as #InnovateNaija and Futuremakers, among other initiatives.
For the Agency, the longer-term objective is to create an environment where Nigerian research and innovation can be translated into products, enterprises and industrial opportunities.
From Infrastructure to Economic Value
As construction continues, NASENI is positioning the campus as more than a conventional government infrastructure project.
The Agency sees the facility as part of the infrastructure required to connect Nigeria’s research and engineering capabilities with commercialisation, manufacturing and industrial development.
The project therefore sits at the intersection of science, technology, innovation and economic development, with its eventual impact expected to depend not only on the completion of the physical infrastructure but also on how effectively the laboratories, fabrication facilities and collaborative spaces are used.
NASENI said each stage of construction brings the Agency closer to establishing the infrastructure needed to help transform homegrown Nigerian innovation into economic and industrial value.
