CUTTING RIBBONS, WASTING RESOURCES: THE COSTLY SPECTACLE OF ROAD COMMISSIONING IN NIGERIA
One of the most troubling aspects of governance in Nigeria is the culture of celebrating routine government responsibilities as though they are extraordinary achievements. Few examples illustrate this better than the elaborate ceremonies organized to commission roads and other public infrastructure projects.
Road construction is not a favour to the people; it is one of the fundamental duties of government. Citizens pay taxes, businesses pay levies, and governments borrow in the name of the people to fund public projects. Therefore, when a road is completed, it should be seen as the fulfillment of an obligation, not an occasion for excessive self-congratulation.
Yet, across the country, we continue to witness lavish commissioning ceremonies complete with banners, convoys, media campaigns, security deployments, rented crowds, and endless speeches. Millions of naira are often spent on events whose sole purpose is to celebrate projects that should have been delivered in the first place.
What makes this even more disturbing is that these ceremonies take place in a country facing serious economic challenges. Millions of Nigerians struggle daily with inflation, unemployment, poor healthcare, inadequate schools, and unreliable electricity. In such circumstances, every kobo of public money should be spent with prudence and a clear focus on improving the lives of citizens.
In many countries around the world, roads are completed and opened to the public with minimal fanfare. The emphasis is on efficiency, quality, and value for money. Governments are judged by the impact of their projects, not by the size of the ceremonies organized to unveil them. The infrastructure itself is the achievement, not the ribbon-cutting event.
The obsession with commissioning projects has unfortunately become a tool for political branding rather than public service. It shifts attention away from critical questions such as the actual cost of the project, the quality of the work done, whether the project was delivered on schedule, and whether it truly meets the needs of the people.
Nigeria deserves a governance culture that prioritizes substance over spectacle. Public officials should be remembered for the quality of services they provide, not for the grandeur of the ceremonies they organize. The true measure of leadership is not how loudly a road is commissioned, but how effectively it serves the people long after the cameras have left.
George Okoyo
One of the most troubling aspects of governance in Nigeria is the culture of celebrating routine government responsibilities as though they are extraordinary achievements. Few examples illustrate this better than the elaborate ceremonies organized to commission roads and other public infrastructure projects.
Road construction is not a favour to the people; it is one of the fundamental duties of government. Citizens pay taxes, businesses pay levies, and governments borrow in the name of the people to fund public projects. Therefore, when a road is completed, it should be seen as the fulfillment of an obligation, not an occasion for excessive self-congratulation.
Yet, across the country, we continue to witness lavish commissioning ceremonies complete with banners, convoys, media campaigns, security deployments, rented crowds, and endless speeches. Millions of naira are often spent on events whose sole purpose is to celebrate projects that should have been delivered in the first place.
What makes this even more disturbing is that these ceremonies take place in a country facing serious economic challenges. Millions of Nigerians struggle daily with inflation, unemployment, poor healthcare, inadequate schools, and unreliable electricity. In such circumstances, every kobo of public money should be spent with prudence and a clear focus on improving the lives of citizens.
In many countries around the world, roads are completed and opened to the public with minimal fanfare. The emphasis is on efficiency, quality, and value for money. Governments are judged by the impact of their projects, not by the size of the ceremonies organized to unveil them. The infrastructure itself is the achievement, not the ribbon-cutting event.
The obsession with commissioning projects has unfortunately become a tool for political branding rather than public service. It shifts attention away from critical questions such as the actual cost of the project, the quality of the work done, whether the project was delivered on schedule, and whether it truly meets the needs of the people.
Nigeria deserves a governance culture that prioritizes substance over spectacle. Public officials should be remembered for the quality of services they provide, not for the grandeur of the ceremonies they organize. The true measure of leadership is not how loudly a road is commissioned, but how effectively it serves the people long after the cameras have left.
George Okoyo