The Federal Government has vowed to take decisive action to halt years of waste and neglect following an inspection of the long-abandoned Government Printer facility in Abuja by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The inspection,revealed the deteriorating condition of the multi-billion-naira facility, prompting the Minister to describe its abandonment as unacceptable and inconsistent with the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to prudence, accountability, and optimal utilisation of public assets under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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The Minister recalled that the foundation stone for the Government Printer complex was laid in 2001 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He noted that the project is approximately 70 per cent completed, with several high-grade printing machines supplied as far back as 2007.
However, many of the machines—imported from countries including Germany and India—remain sealed in their original crates more than a decade later. According to the Minister, some of the equipment has now become obsolete due to prolonged neglect.
“It is heart-wrenching to see this level of waste in the heart of Abuja,” Idris said. “At a time when government is working hard to conserve resources and look inward, it is unacceptable that such a massive investment has been allowed to deteriorate year after year.”
The Government Printer, which serves as the official printer of the Federal Government, is responsible for producing sensitive national documents such as the Federal Government Gazette and other critical publications of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
The Minister noted that the prolonged inactivity of the facility has forced the government to outsource printing services that should ordinarily be handled internally, thereby undermining efficiency and national capacity.
The inspection also revealed that key infrastructure at the site, including a brand-new 2000 KVA generator installed in 2011, has never been utilised, further highlighting the scale of underused public assets.
Accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, the Acting Director of the Government Printer, and other senior ministry officials, the Minister explained that the visit was aimed at enabling leadership to assess the situation firsthand, conduct a comprehensive stock-taking, and take informed management decisions.
“We have come to see things for ourselves. We will return with concrete recommendations to Mr President and the Federal Executive Council on the best way to revitalise this facility and put it to use for the benefit of Nigerians,”
The Minister stressed that the Federal Government would no longer turn a blind eye to the continued deterioration of national assets, assuring that concrete steps would be taken to recover value from existing investments and prevent further waste.
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He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, responsible governance, and efficient management of public resources, in line with President Tinubu’s directive that every naira spent must deliver value to the Nigerian people.