A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) monitoring recovered assets has expressed concern over the continued non-utilisation of funds recovered from Diezani Alison-Madueke and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
The group noted that $50 million recovered from Diezani and $954,000 linked to Alamieyeseigha remain largely unused despite being repatriated for developmental projects.
According to the CSOs, it has been over a year since the Galactica restitution agreement facilitated the return of $52.88 million tied to Diezani. The funds were earmarked for the Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) project, yet there is no evidence that the project has commenced or clarity on the current location of the funds.
Similarly, three years after the $954,000 recovered from Alamieyeseigha was returned to Nigeria to support the development of primary healthcare centres in Bayelsa State, implementation has yet to begin. The state government is reportedly still in the process of selecting NGOs to oversee the project.
Speaking at a two-day town hall meeting on asset utilisation and accountability, David Ugolor confirmed that none of the proposed projects linked to the recovered funds have taken off.
He explained that, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, his organisation conducted field visits to health centres designated to benefit from the Alamieyeseigha funds, only to find that no development had occurred.
Ugolor further disclosed that there has been little transparency regarding the $50 million meant for renewable energy expansion, alleging that the Rural Electrification Agency has not provided sufficient information about the funds.
While commending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its efforts in recovering stolen assets, he stressed that recovery alone is insufficient without proper utilisation and accountability.
He added that Nigerians are increasingly demanding answers about how recovered funds are spent, who benefits, and whether such resources genuinely improve lives or are safeguarded from being mismanaged again.
Ugolor emphasised that transparent and effective use of recovered assets is essential to rebuilding public trust, demonstrating accountability, and strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework. Conversely, he warned that continued mismanagement could erode both local and international confidence in the asset recovery process.
