NASENI Defends ₦10.648bn Campus Mobilisation Payment, Cites 30% Procurement Limit
By Pan Afric Reporters
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has defended the payment of a reported ₦10.648 billion mobilisation fee to CGC Nigeria Limited for the construction of its flagship NASENI Campus in Abuja, saying the payment complied with applicable procurement regulations.
The agency made the clarification in a statement signed by its Director of Information, Mr. Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, in response to reports published by Sahara Reporters and Secret Reporters concerning the 30 per cent mobilisation fee for the project.
NASENI rejected the reports and said the publications contained what it described as “false” and “malicious” claims about the agency’s handling of the campus construction contract.
According to the agency, one of the reports questioned the payment of ₦10.648 billion as 30 per cent of the contract sum, while another referenced a 15 per cent mobilisation threshold under an earlier procurement framework.
NASENI said the 15 per cent figure was based on an outdated provision, arguing that the Finance Act 2020 amended the Public Procurement Act 2007 to increase the maximum allowable mobilisation fee for public contracts from 15 per cent to 30 per cent.
The agency stated that CGC Nigeria Limited was selected after NASENI sought the services of qualified and reputable companies for the construction of the Campus, which is being developed at Abuja Technology Village, Lugbe, Abuja, as a flagship Science, Technology and Innovation Complex.
NASENI said CGC Nigeria Limited obtained a Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Certificate of No Objection to the contract and met the technical and financial requirements stipulated under the agency’s procurement process and the amended procurement law.
The agency further stated that before the mobilisation payment was made, the contractor provided a bank guarantee from a reputable commercial bank in Nigeria, in line with the applicable procedures.
NASENI said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) subsequently approved the award of the NASENI Campus contract to CGC Nigeria Limited in November 2025, after which the contractor was mobilised with 30 per cent of the total contract sum.
The agency said the mobilisation was necessary to enable the contractor commence and progress work at the project site, insisting that the payment was consistent with the applicable financial and procurement procedures.
Quoting the amended provision, NASENI said the Finance Act 2020 permits a mobilisation fee of not more than 30 per cent for contractors, provided it is supported by an unconditional bank guarantee or insurance bond acceptable to the procuring entity until the fee is fully amortised or recovered.
“NASENI follows all due process in awarding public contracts as stated in Finance Act, 2020, which amended the Procurement Act, 2007,” the agency said.
It urged media organisations to seek clarification from government agencies before publishing reports on procurement and public expenditure, saying balanced reporting requires that relevant institutions be given an opportunity to respond to allegations.
Beyond the controversy over the mobilisation payment, NASENI said construction of the Campus was steadily progressing and would provide infrastructure designed to help Nigerian innovations move from research and prototypes to market-ready products, businesses and industries.
When completed, the agency said the Campus would accommodate research laboratories, advanced prototyping and fabrication facilities, co-working spaces and collaborative learning facilities to enable innovators, researchers, engineers and industry stakeholders to work together.
NASENI said the project was anchored on its 3Cs of Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation, providing a pathway for innovators emerging from initiatives such as #InnovateNaija and Futuremakers to develop, test and advance their solutions towards the market.
The agency said continued progress on the project would bring Nigeria closer to establishing infrastructure capable of converting homegrown innovation into economic and industrial value.
