The Suleja International Market, located in the Rafinseyi area of Suleja in North-Central Nigeria, was promoted by the Niger State government as a major commercial hub expected to drive economic activities due to its proximity to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
However, investigations by SaharaReporters have uncovered what appears to be questionable financial spending running into N1.514 billion, with the market allegedly used as a conduit for suspicious road construction claims.
Although the market has since been handed over to the state-owned Niger State Development Company Limited for management and promotion, commercial activities at the facility remain largely inactive.
Billboards advertising the market have been erected across Suleja, yet only a few shops are operational, while several structures remain uncompleted as of the time of this report.
A review of Niger State budget performance documents obtained by SaharaReporters showed that the state government recorded N1.420 billion as “actual expenditure for the full year” in 2024 for the construction of roads within the Suleja International Market.
The expenditure was listed under the Ministry of Investment and Private Sector Development.
Further checks showed that between January and September 2025, another N94 million was reportedly spent on the same road project.
This brings the total amount claimed by the state government for the road construction project between January 2024 and September 2025 to N1.514 billion.
Notably, the Niger State Development Company Limited — the agency currently managing the market — operates under the same Ministry of Investment and Private Sector Development that approved and supervised the reported expenditure.
However, visits by SaharaReporters to the market revealed no evidence of any road project matching the scale of the claimed spending.
At the site, there was no indication of road construction work, the market was toured from the main gate entrance road to other ends with no sign of any road construction by the state government .
Findings showed that the only visible activity carried out involved the digging of drainage gutters and the placement of limited concrete structures in parts of the market.
Traders and individuals within the market premises who spoke with SaharaReporters also denied knowledge of any road construction project within the facility.
Equally, the access road outside the market has not undergone any visible construction, further raising questions about how the state government arrived at the N1.514 billion expenditure figure.
A Decade-Long Project Still Stalled
The controversy surrounding the market project adds to long-standing concerns over delays and accountability issues linked to the Suleja International Market.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the project was originally scheduled for completion in March 2020. However, findings revealed that despite repeated funding claims over the years, significant sections of the market remain uncompleted.
Documents obtained by SaharaReporters showed that the bidding process for the contract dates back to November 2012.
Despite this, the Niger State government still recorded another N63 million expenditure between January and September 2025 for the “completion of the Suleja International Market”.
Yet, observations at the site showed several unfinished structures scattered across the market complex.
Previous SaharaReporters’ investigations revealed that the project was partly financed through a N5 billion bond issued by the Niger State government.
Further documents published by the Emerging Africa Group showed that the contract for the market project was awarded to Exson Limited at a cost of N1.6 billion as of 2019. Records indicated that N400 million had already been paid to the contractor, leaving an outstanding balance of N1.2 billion.
Niger State’s audited financial statement for the year ending December 31, 2022, also confirmed the payment of N400 million to Exson Limited.
“The contract was reviewed by the state’s infrastructural committee in 2017, with the last tranche payment of N400 million made to the contractor (Exson Nigeria Limited) in November 2019. However, there appears to be no significant progress, despite the contract period elapsing in March 2020,” the audit report stated.
The report further recommended that the contractor either be mobilised back to the site or be compelled to refund the money before the contract is revoked.
Ironically, in 2022, former Governor Abubakar Sani Bello publicly praised the progress of the project, expressing optimism that its completion would boost economic activities in the state.
What N1.5 Billion Could Have Provided
The disputed N1.514 billion expenditure comes at a time residents across Niger State continue to grapple with poor access to basic infrastructure.
Based on the state government’s own budget estimates of N10 million per borehole, the amount claimed for the road project could fund the construction of 150 boreholes across communities in the state.
Similarly, with the state budgeting N100 million for one Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), the same amount could build 15 PHCs.
The government also budgeted N100 million for 50 solar-powered streetlights, meaning N1.5 billion could provide approximately 750 solar-powered streetlights across the state.
When the Niger State governor’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Bologi, was contacted, he failed to reply enquiries seeking comments on the development and also did not pick calls to his official line.