FRC, NIQS Renew Partnership to Strengthen Fiscal Accountability, Project Verification
Oru Leonard
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) have renewed their strategic partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and value-for-money in the management of public resources.
The agreement was signed at the Commission’s conference hall in Abuja during a ceremony attended by the leadership and senior management teams of both organisations.
Speaking at the event, Acting Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Barrister Charles Chukwuemeka Abana, described the renewed agreement as a reaffirmation of the long-standing collaboration between the two institutions in promoting fiscal discipline and prudent public expenditure.
Abana welcomed the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Dr. Aminu Mohammed Bashir, and his delegation, expressing appreciation for the Institute’s continued support and goodwill. He also congratulated Bashir on his election as president of the professional body, describing his emergence as a testament to his competence and experience.
The FRC chairman noted that the first MoU signed on October 22, 2021, had significantly enhanced the Commission’s capital projects verification exercises through the technical expertise provided by quantity surveyors nominated by the Institute.
According to him, the partnership has improved the credibility and effectiveness of project verification exercises across the country while also strengthening the capacity of Commission staff through specialised training programmes.
He disclosed that the NIQS had already submitted a list of professionals to participate in the Commission’s 2026 Capital Projects Verification Exercise, scheduled to commence next month.
“The renewed MoU is not merely a continuation of an existing partnership but a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to accountability, professionalism, fiscal discipline, and efficient utilisation of public resources,” Abana said.
In his remarks, NIQS President, Dr. Aminu Mohammed Bashir, described the relationship between the two organisations as one anchored on the shared belief that public resources must be managed with transparency, discipline, and professional rigor.
He said the initial agreement signed in 2021 institutionalised that commitment and laid the foundation for stronger collaboration in promoting accountability in public spending.
Bashir commended the Fiscal Responsibility Commission for its role in advancing fiscal discipline across Nigeria’s public sector, stressing that quantity surveyors play a critical role in safeguarding public funds through effective cost management and project monitoring.
He explained that quantity surveyors oversee project costs from conception to completion, helping to detect contract inflation, cost manipulation, and procurement irregularities while ensuring value for money in infrastructure development.
According to him, the Commission’s mandate of promoting prudent and transparent public expenditure requires professional cost intelligence, making the partnership between FRC and NIQS a necessity rather than a convenience.
The NIQS president pledged continued support for joint project verification exercises, forensic cost auditing, budget reviews, and capacity-building initiatives for FRC personnel in areas such as construction economics, procurement integrity, and infrastructure expenditure analysis.
Both organisations expressed confidence that the renewed partnership would further strengthen fiscal accountability, improve public sector project delivery, and promote efficient use of government resources in support of national development.
