Benin City, Nigeria – 20 June 2026
The Humanitarian Accountability Team, comprising former staff members of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has submitted a detailed report to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of IOM, documenting alleged contradictions between IOM Nigeria’s public representations of donor-funded reintegration projects in Edo State and the organisation’s internal project records.
The report focuses on two projects publicly launched by IOM on 21 February 2020 under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration: the Iguobazuwa Pineapple Factory and the Ehor Cassava Factory. At the launch, IOM publicly announced that the facilities were returnee-owned enterprises that had generated employment opportunities for 42 and 25 returnees and local youths respectively.
However, according to the report submitted to the OIG, the records reviewed show expenditures on construction works, equipment procurement, renovations, repairs, and training activities, but do not contain evidence of the cooperatives, shareholder structures, payroll records, production records, sales activities, or operating enterprises described in IOM’s public communications.
The report identifies approximately USD 151,800 expended on the Iguobazuwa Pineapple Factory through contractors and suppliers, including Kadal Construction Work Ltd, Starron Nigeria, and HE-DUS Resources. It further identifies expenditures ranging between approximately USD 51,200 and USD 130,000 on the Ehor Cassava Factory through contractors and suppliers including F.O. Edegbe Ventures, Airos Synergy, JMG, Starron Nigeria, Lavita, and Baddageria.
A central finding of the report is that although substantial donor resources were expended on physical infrastructure and equipment, the records examined do not demonstrate the existence of the returnee-owned enterprises that were publicly presented as completed and operational outcomes of the programme.
The report also raises concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest involving an individual publicly presented by IOM as a private-sector partner in the Iguobazuwa project, who was allegedly connected to a company that received payment from IOM under the same programme.
Overall, the investigation traces approximately USD 509,000 in reintegration-related expenditures in Edo State across 31 payees. According to the report, documented payments were made predominantly to contractors, equipment suppliers, consultants, transporters, hotels, caterers, and government entities, while records evidencing direct returnee enterprise ownership, equity participation, production activities, wages, or ongoing business operations were not identified in the documents reviewed.
This investigation builds on the longstanding efforts of the Rural Development Information and Legal Advocacy Centre (RUDILAC) to obtain access to information relating to the projects.
Through requests made under the Freedom of Information framework and subsequent litigation, RUDILAC sought to verify IOM’s public claims regarding returnee ownership and employment outcomes associated with the facilities.
These efforts culminated in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/767/2019. However, IOM declined disclosure, relying on its privileges and immunities, thereby preventing independent verification of its claims through judicial processes.
According to the Humanitarian Accountability Team:
“The issue is not whether buildings were constructed or equipment purchased. The issue is whether the returnee-owned enterprises, shareholder arrangements, jobs, production activities and business operations publicly reported to donors and the public existed as represented.”
The report calls on the Office of the Inspector General of IOM to undertake a preliminary assessment of the allegations and to examine all relevant project, monitoring, donor-reporting, handover, cooperative registration, employment, production, and project-closure records relating to the two facilities.
Significantly, RUDILAC was ultimately able to uncover the alleged contradictions in IOM Nigeria’s returnee reintegration projects not through judicial proceedings, but through whistleblower disclosures facilitated by former global staff members of IOM.
The Rural Development Information and Legal Advocacy Centre (RUDILAC) is a Nigerian non-governmental organisation committed to promoting transparency, access to information, accountability, human rights, and public-interest advocacy. Through its FOI Counsel initiative, RUDILAC advances public oversight of institutions and advocates for the responsible management and use of public and donor resources.
Media Contact:
President Aigbokhan
Executive Director, RUDILAC
Email: kpresident@yahoo.com
Telephone: +2348032683434