SERAP Demands Full Disclosure on $460m Abuja CCTV Project

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has intensified pressure on the Federal Government over the controversial $460 million Abuja CCTV project, demanding full disclosure of all beneficiaries linked to the contract.
SERAP asked the Ministry of Finance to release the identities of local contractors, subcontractors, consultants and vendors that benefited from payments made under the project, saying the government has only partially complied with a Federal High Court judgment delivered in May 2023.
According to SERAP, the Ministry of Finance admitted in a recent response that it had no detailed records identifying Nigerian companies that directly received funds from the Chinese loan used to finance the project.
The group described the situation as a major transparency and accountability concern, especially as Nigerians are still repaying the loan used for the surveillance project.
SERAP also questioned the status of the CCTV infrastructure, asking how many cameras were installed, whether they are operational, and if the project delivered value for money amid rising insecurity in Abuja and across the country.
The organisation further raised concerns over 6,035 equipment items reportedly unaccounted for in the project inventory, warning that it would continue contempt proceedings against the Ministry if full details are not disclosed within 48 hours.
The Federal Government reportedly disclosed that $399.5 million was received from the Export-Import Bank of China for the project between 2011 and 2013, while Nigeria provided an additional $70.5 million as counterpart funding. Chinese tech company ZTE Corporation was identified as the principal contractor for the project.