Publish Names of Local Contractors for $460m Abuja CCTV Project, SERAP Tells FG* 

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has asked the Federal Government to immediately disclose the identities of all local contractors, subcontractors, consultants, and vendors that benefited from the $460 million Abuja CCTV project, also known as the National Public Security Communication System.

SERAP also called on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to provide full details of payments, project execution, and outstanding deliverables, insisting that Nigerians still lack key information on how the funds were spent.

The demand was contained in a letter dated May 23, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

According to the organisation, the Federal Ministry of Finance had recently told it that there was “an absence of detailed subcontracting records identifying specific local companies that received funds directly from the Chinese loan,” despite indicating that local subcontractors may have been engaged.

The ministry’s position was contained in a letter dated May 15, 2026, signed by Permanent Secretary R. O. Omachi, according to a statement issued by Kolawole on Sunday.

SERAP said the response followed its contempt proceedings over a 2023 judgment of the Federal High Court ordering disclosure of details of the project, including contractors, funding, and implementation status.

“We are concerned that although the judgment was delivered in May 2023, the Ministry only released some information after we commenced contempt proceedings and served a Notice to Show Cause in January 2026,” SERAP said.

The group maintained that the government’s response amounted to only partial compliance with the court order.

According to SERAP, “Nigerians still do not know exactly the names of local contractors for the project. The absence of this information raises serious concerns about record keeping, transparency and accountability, and whether the project was implemented in a manner consistent with the public interest.”

SERAP recalled that on May 15, 2023, the Federal High Court ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the $460 million loan, the identities of both local and Chinese contractors, project implementation status, and details of a reported ₦1.5 billion payment for the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters.

It said the information provided so far still leaves several questions unanswered, including the status of missing equipment and whether the project delivered value for money.

“The details provided amount to only partial compliance with Justice Emeka Nwite’s judgment. Key questions remain unanswered, and further clarification is needed to ensure full and effective compliance,” SERAP said.

The organisation added that over 6,000 items reportedly remain unaccounted for under the project, raising concerns about possible losses and contract performance.

“The Ministry lists items reportedly delivered in 2013. However, it has failed to clarify how many cameras were installed, if any; where they were installed; whether the cameras are currently operational; and whether the project delivered value for money,” it said.

SERAP further stressed that full compliance with court judgments was necessary to uphold the rule of law and public accountability, especially given Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.

“For a project financed through public borrowing—debt Nigerians continue to repay—full transparency over all beneficiaries, foreign and domestic, is essential,” it said.

The organisation urged the government to fully implement the court judgment by publishing the names of all Nigerian companies involved, the amounts paid to each contractor, and the status of project execution, including certificates of completion and accounting for the 6,035 undelivered items.

It also noted that the Federal Government had disclosed receiving $399.5 million from the Export-Import Bank of China for the project, with counterpart funding of $70.5 million, bringing the total to about $470 million.

According to SERAP, payments were made in instalments between 2011 and 2013, with ZTE Corporation of China listed as the main contractor, while Nigerian subcontractors were allegedly involved without clear records of participation.

SERAP warned that failure to fully comply with the judgment risks undermining judicial authority and denying Nigerians access to information on public expenditure.

Punch