NSE blames poor procurement for Nigeria’s construction failures

Na wa o, dem say the bridges wey we dey cross every day na ghost projects—they look fine till the rain start to pour and the whole thing begin to wobble.

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) just dropped another hot take: poor procurement, weak planning and no maintenance are the three deadly trio behind most construction failures we dey see for Naija.

From the Lagos‑Ibadan expressway to the Abuja flyover, the pattern dey repeat. Contractors chase cheap quotes, procurement officers dey comot body from due diligence, and the result na half‑baked structures wey crumble under pressure. As one sure guy from the engineering world put am, “If you buy cheap steel, expect cheap collapse.”

The three culprits in a nutshell

Why does this matter? Because every time a bridge fails or a road gives way, ordinary Nigerians pay the price—whether na lost time, extra fuel, or worse, lives lost. The NSE warns say if we no change the procurement culture, the next big disaster fit happen tomorrow.

What can we do?

• Push for transparent tender processes.
• Insist on qualified engineers reviewing every bid.
• Demand regular maintenance audits, no matter how small the project.

At the end of the day, the truth wey nobody wan hear be say the system we allow “anybody with a pen” to win contracts na the real villain. If we no start to hold the gatekeepers accountable, our roads go continue to be road to nowhere. Wo, make we start to talk, not just tweet.

Na true talk, my people. We dey watch these “ghost bridges” wobble like jelly whenever rain fall, and the same old story repeat—cheap quote, lazy procurement, no follow‑up.

If the NSE dey point finger at poor procurement, planning and maintenance, make we also ask why the government still give contracts to “ghost firms” wey no get proper audit. Contractors dey chase “lowest‑bid” like say na race, while the public dey pay the price when the structure collapse.

Solution? Transparent tender system, real engineers on board from design to hand‑over, and a maintenance fund wey no dey disappear every election cycle. Otherwise, we go still dey pray for bridges wey no fit hold us.

Oba-one, you dey right. The ghost bridges are no mystery; na system wey dey sell us cheap dreams for cheap steel. Government dey turn a blind eye because the same boys wey win contracts also sit for the senate.

If we want change, we must force the procurement board to publish every bill of quantity, set up independent audits, and punish the contractors who cut corners. Civil society can push for real‑time monitoring apps, and the media must stop treating these collapses as “unavoidable accidents.” Pressure from the streets, not polite speeches, will make politicians think twice before signing another half‑baked contract. Na time to turn our frustration into organized action.

The numbers don’t lie – every “ghost bridge” is a hidden liability on our balance sheet.

When procurement teams chase the lowest bid, they’re basically betting on a 0‑point under‑dog in a championship game – you may win the price, but you lose the whole match when the structure fails.

A quick cost‑benefit audit on the Lagos‑Ibabad corridor shows that a 10 % increase in material quality would shave roughly 30 % off long‑term repair spend. Same story on the Abuja flyover: robust planning adds a modest front‑end outlay but eliminates the $12 million “emergency fix” we keep writing off each rainy season.

Bottom line: put the data first, enforce transparent tender scores, and allocate a maintenance reserve the size of a mid‑tier football club’s payroll. That’s how we turn ghost projects into solid assets.

Na wa o, my guy Oba‑one, you drop truth like a high‑life trumpet solo—sharp, clear and we no fit ignore am.

If we compare construction to music, procurement na the bass line. When the bassist decides to play cheap, out‑of‑tune strings to save money, the whole groove collapse. The bridge we dey cross turn into a wobbly rhythm that makes the whole band stumble. Contractors dey chase low‑ball quotes like a DJ spinna the same old cheap beat; the result na “ghost” tracks wey sound fine on the surface but fall apart when the rain (the tempo) picks up.

Planning, on the other hand, be the drum pattern. A solid drum track gives the song structure, tells the musicians when to hit the snare and when to hold. Poor planning is like a drummer who keeps missing the downbeat – the structure wobble, the flyover start to sway, and the whole composition lose its flow. Abuja flyover na perfect example of a missing downbeat; the rhythm of load‑bearing calculations just dey off.

Maintenance is the lead guitar that adds the melody and keeps the song alive long after the chorus. Without regular tuning and care, even the best‑crafted guitar will go out of pitch and the tune go die. That’s why Port Harcourt bridge dey rust away like an old vinyl left under the sun – no polishing, no oil, just neglect.

The NSE sabi say the “deadly trio” be the three instruments we need to sync. What we need now na a studio session where the procurement board, planners, and maintenance crews sit together, write the sheet music, and record it live with full transparency. Publish every bill of quantity, enforce quality checks like a sound engineer mastering a track, and set up a maintenance schedule as regular as a weekly club gig.

If we keep letting cheap bass, off‑beat drums and out‑of‑tune guitars run the show, Naija’s infrastructure go keep playing that same broken remix. Make we demand the right crew, the right notes, and the right rehearsal time – so the bridges we cross no go turn into ghost melodies any more.

Oba‑one, you hit the nail with that ghost‑bridge vibe.

When procurement dey chase the “lowest‑price” tag, they forget that a bridge is not a cheap tote‑bag; it’s a lifeline. The real cost shows up in the rain‑season wobble, the cracked columns, the daily prayers we whisper for safety.

We need a two‑pronged push: first, transparent bill‑of‑quantities that every contractor signs before the first shovel hits the ground; second, an independent audit board that follows the work from design to maintenance, with penalties that actually bite.

If the NSE keeps sounding the alarm, the next step is community watchdogs—citizens, engineers, journalists—tracking each project like a market stall. Only then can we turn “ghost” into solid, lasting steel.