House of Reps to Investigate $460M CCTV Project under Jonathan’s Administration

The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to investigate the $460 million loan secured by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the procurement and installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in strategic locations within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The project aimed to enhance security in Abuja but is reported to have been largely unexecuted.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Amobi Ogah, the lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State. Ogah highlighted the worsening insecurity in the nation’s capital as reason to revisit the stalled project.

In 2010, the Federal Government took the $460 million loan from China-EXIM Bank to install the CCTV system, with the contract awarded to ZTE Communications of China after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Beijing. However, reports indicate the project was never fully implemented, despite Nigeria servicing the loan.

The 9th House of Representatives in 2019 had previously questioned the Ministry of Finance about the project’s status. Then Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed confirmed the loan was being serviced but provided no details on the project’s execution.

In 2023, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the government to disclose how the funds were spent following a lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SEAP).

During Wednesday’s plenary, Ogah emphasized that despite the substantial investment and the financial burden of servicing the loan, the intended CCTV coverage is not operational, and crime rates in Abuja have instead escalated.

“This situation leaves Nigeria in a lose-lose nightmare — paying heavily for a non-functional CCTV contract handled by a Chinese firm,” he lamented.

Several lawmakers, including Edo’s Billy Osawaru and Borno’s Ahmad Jaha, called for thorough investigation and strong legislative oversight. Osawaru stressed the importance of holding officials accountable to discourage misconduct, while Jaha questioned the feasibility studies behind the project and urged uncovering the truth amid the ongoing debt servicing by the government.