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 strengthening fiscal accountability, transparency, and value-for-money principles in public expenditure management.
According to an official signed statement by the Deputy Director, Strategic Communications Directorate of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Bede Ogueri Anyanwu, the agreement was signed at the Commission’s Conference Hall in Abuja during a ceremony attended by senior officials of both institutions.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Barrister Charles Chukwuemeka Abana, welcomed the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Dr. Aminu Mohammed Bashir, FNIQS, and members of his delegation. He expressed appreciation for the Institute’s goodwill and support following his recent appointment and described the visit as a testament to the longstanding cordial relationship between both organisations.
Barrister Abana also congratulated Dr. Bashir on his election as President of the Institute, noting that his emergence reflected his professional competence, experience, and the confidence reposed in him by members of the NIQS.
He stated that the partnership between the Commission and the Institute has remained strategically important in advancing transparency, accountability, prudence, and efficiency in public financial management. He recalled that the first MoU signed on October 22, 2021, significantly enhanced the Commission’s capital project verification exercises through the technical expertise provided by NIQS professionals.
The Acting Chairman commended the Institute for consistently nominating qualified quantity surveyors to participate in verification exercises nationwide, a contribution he said had improved the credibility, effectiveness, and quality of the Commission’s oversight activities.
He further acknowledged the Institute’s role in building the capacity of Commission staff through specialised training programmes, which have strengthened technical knowledge and operational efficiency in project verification processes.
According to Barrister Abana, the renewed agreement represents not only a continuation of an existing partnership but also a reaffirmation of the shared commitment of both institutions to promoting fiscal discipline, accountability, professionalism, and the prudent utilisation of public resources.
He disclosed that the Institute had already submitted a list of nominees to participate in the Commission’s 2026 Capital Projects Verification Exercise scheduled to commence next month, expressing confidence that the collaboration would deliver another successful outcome.
In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Dr. Aminu Mohammed Bashir, described the relationship between the two institutions as one founded on a common belief that public resources must be managed with discipline, transparency, and professional rigor.
He noted that the initial MoU executed in 2021 provided institutional backing for that shared vision and explained that the renewed agreement was intended to deepen and expand the collaboration.
Dr. Bashir commended the Fiscal Responsibility Commission for its commitment to fiscal discipline and accountability in Nigeria’s public sector, describing the Commission’s institutional achievements as the foundation of a meaningful and productive partnership.
The NIQS President highlighted the role of quantity surveyors as key professionals in construction cost management, responsible for monitoring project costs from conception through procurement, contract administration, and final account settlement.
According to him, quantity surveyors occupy a critical position in safeguarding public funds by measuring costs, verifying values, detecting inflationary practices, and providing forensic evidence in cases of contract manipulation.
He stressed that the Commission’s mandate of ensuring prudent and transparent public expenditure requires professional cost intelligence on capital projects, describing the partnership between the FRC and NIQS as a functional necessity.
Dr. Bashir reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to supporting the Commission through joint physical verification exercises, forensic cost auditing, and technical input during pre-appropriation and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework review processes.
He also pledged continued support for specialised capacity-building programmes for Commission personnel in areas including construction economics, procurement integrity, capital project cost management, and forensic analysis of infrastructure expenditure.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by members of the top management teams of both organisations, underscoring their shared commitment to strengthening fiscal responsibility, enhancing accountability, and ensuring value for money in the execution of public projects across the country.
