Residents of Abuja have called for accountability and transparency as the House of Representatives commenced a probe into the controversial $460 million Closed Circuit Television surveillance project in the Federal Capital Territory, with many expressing frustration over the absence of visible and functional surveillance infrastructure despite the huge investment aimed at boosting security.
A civil servant in Wuse, Musa Abdullahi, said the project has failed as the reality on the ground has proved, adding that with the level of insecurity faced today, the project should have made a difference. “We just want accountability. If the project failed, Nigerians deserve to know why,” he said. A trader in Nyanya, Mrs Ruth Daniel, questioned the impact of the initiative, describing it as a “white elephant project,” noting that crimes still happen daily without any evidence of surveillance support.
The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee probing the project directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend further disbursements to ZTE Corporation, the company that handled the project, pending satisfactory explanations on the execution of the contract. The resolution followed what lawmakers described as inconsistencies, vague responses, and lack of transparency from officials of the company during an investigative hearing. The committee also mandated ZTE to reappear with comprehensive documentation, including a full inventory of supplied equipment, exact deployment locations, and details of the 456 Nigerians reportedly trained to operate the system.
Representing ZTE, Irene Momoh told lawmakers that the company executed the project in Abuja and Lagos between 2011 and 2012 but could not confirm its current operational status, a response that drew sharp criticism from lawmakers. Momoh attributed the decline of the system to lack of sustained funding by the government after handover. However, the hearing exposed inconsistencies, with lawmakers disputing claims about the locations of installed infrastructure. A committee member, Iyawe Esosa, cited official records indicating installations in Edo State but insisted such facilities were not visible on ground.
The CCTV project, initiated under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was designed to deploy thousands of cameras across major cities, including Abuja and Lagos, to enhance urban security. Funded through a loan agreement with the Chinese government and executed by ZTE, the initiative was initially hailed as a major step toward tackling crime. However, years after its reported completion, the project has remained largely invisible, with recurring concerns over poor maintenance, funding gaps, and alleged contractual irregularities.
