Name local contractors in $460m Abuja CCTV project, SERAP urges FG

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

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an absence of detailed subcontracting records identifying specific local companies that received funds directly from the Chinese loan.

SERAP also called on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to provide comprehensive details on payments made, project execution, and any remaining deliverables. The organization insists that Nigerians still lack crucial information regarding how these funds were utilized. This demand follows a response from the Federal Ministry of Finance, which stated there was an "absence of detailed subcontracting records identifying specific local companies that received funds directly from the Chinese loan."

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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.

The ministry's position was conveyed in a letter dated May 15, 2026, signed by Permanent Secretary R. O. Omachi. SERAP noted that this response came after they initiated contempt proceedings concerning a 2023 Federal High Court judgment that ordered the disclosure of project details. SERAP expressed concern that the ministry only released some information after contempt proceedings began in January 2026, deeming the response as only partial compliance with the court order. The group stressed that the lack of information about local contractors raises serious questions about record-keeping, transparency, and accountability, and whether the project served the public interest.

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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 the Federal High Court ordered the Ministry of Finance on May 15, 2023, to disclose the total amount paid under the $460 million loan, the identities of both local and Chinese contractors, the project's implementation status, and details of a reported ₦1.5 billion payment for the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters. The organization stated that the information provided so far leaves key questions unanswered, including the status of missing equipment and whether the project delivered value for money. SERAP maintains that the details provided constitute only partial compliance with Justice Emeka Nwite's judgment.

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The details provided amount to only partial compliance with Justice Emeka Nwite’s judgment. Key questions remain unanswered, and further clarification is needed.