By Abiodun Folarin
WorldStage— The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has defended the payment of ₦10.648 billion mobilisation fee to CGC Nigeria Limited for the construction of the NASENI Campus, saying the payment complied with extant public procurement regulations.
The Agency, in a statement issued by its Director of Information, Mr. Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, on Tuesday, described recent online reports by Sahara Reporters and Secret Reporters alleging financial impropriety in the payment as false and malicious.
NASENI said the 30 per cent mobilisation payment was within the maximum limit permitted under the Finance Act 2020, which amended the Public Procurement Act 2007 to increase the allowable mobilisation fee for public contracts from 15 per cent to 30 per cent.
According to the Agency, the payment was made after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the award of the NASENI Campus contract to CGC Nigeria Limited in November 2025.
It said CGC Nigeria Limited emerged from the procurement process after securing a Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Certificate of No Objection and meeting the technical and financial requirements stipulated under the Agency’s procurement process and applicable regulations.
NASENI further stated that before the mobilisation payment was made, the contractor provided a bank guarantee from a reputable commercial bank in Nigeria in accordance with approved procedures.
The Agency said the 30 per cent mobilisation was therefore made to enable the contractor to commence work at the project site and was not a payment made hurriedly to “mop up funds”, as alleged in one of the reports.
NASENI specifically disputed the reliance on the former 15 per cent mobilisation ceiling, explaining that the limit had been amended by the Finance Act 2020.
It cited Section 35(a), subsection (1), of the amended Public Procurement Act, which provides for a mobilisation fee of not more than 30 per cent for contractors, supported by an unconditional bank guarantee or insurance bond acceptable to the procuring entity until the fee is fully amortised or recovered.
The Agency said the payment therefore met the statutory, legal and procurement requirements governing public contracts.
NASENI also faulted the reports for allegedly failing to seek clarification from its management before publication, urging media organisations to obtain relevant information from government agencies before publishing reports on public expenditure.
The Agency said the NASENI Campus, located at Abuja Technology Village, Lugbe, Abuja, is a flagship Science, Technology and Innovation complex designed to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
According to NASENI, the project is intended to provide research laboratories, advanced prototyping and fabrication facilities, co-working spaces and collaborative learning facilities where innovators, researchers, engineers and industry can work together.
It said the campus is being developed to address the challenge of moving Nigerian ideas beyond research and prototypes into market-ready products, businesses and industries.
The Agency added that the project reflects its “3Cs” framework of Creation, Collaboration and Commercialization, providing infrastructure to support innovators emerging from initiatives including #InnovateNaija and Futuremakers.
NASENI said construction of the campus was steadily progressing, with each milestone bringing the Agency closer to providing infrastructure capable of converting homegrown innovation into economic and industrial value.
