By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the $460 million CCTV surveillance project in the Federal Capital Territory has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend further payments to ZTE Corporation pending satisfactory explanations on the execution of the contract.
The CCTV project was initiated under former President Goodluck Jonathan as part of efforts to boost urban security through modern surveillance systems.
Funded via a loan from the Chinese government and executed by ZTE, the initiative was designed to deploy thousands of cameras across major cities, supported by integrated command-and-control centres.
Although initially seen as a major step in tackling insecurity, the project has remained mired in controversy. Years after its reported completion, concerns persist over its visibility, functionality, and overall impact.
Successive administrations have faced criticism over poor maintenance, funding gaps, weak technical capacity, and alleged contractual irregularities, issues the ongoing probe now seeks to unravel in what lawmakers describe as a costly investment with little measurable impact on national security.
The resolution, adopted on Tuesday, followed mounting frustration among lawmakers over what they described as inconsistencies, vague responses, and a lack of transparency from ZTE officials concerning the project’s scope, deployment locations, and operational status.
The committee mandated the firm to reappear with comprehensive documentation, including a detailed inventory of all equipment supplied and installed, exact deployment locations nationwide, and the identities and contact details of the 456 Nigerians reportedly trained to operate and maintain the system.
The decision came after a motion moved by Ali Shettima (Bursari/Geidam/Yunusari Federal Constituency) and seconded by Kolawale Akinlayo during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly of Nigeria.
Committee Chairman Donald Ojogo said the probe was not a witch-hunt but a fact-finding exercise aimed at addressing public concerns.
“This is a constructive engagement, not an attempt to witch-hunt anyone. Nigerians deserve clear answers,” he said.
Representing ZTE, Irene Momoh stated that the company supplied and installed CCTV infrastructure in Abuja and Lagos, adding that the project was completed between 2011 and 2012. However, under questioning, he admitted he could not confirm the system’s current functionality.
The admission drew sharp reactions from lawmakers, who questioned how a project of such scale could lack a sustainable maintenance framework. Momoh explained that ZTE initially maintained the system for three months, later extending it to six months before handing it over, blaming the project’s decline on lack of government funding post-handover.
Lawmakers, however, challenged several claims, particularly on deployment locations. Iyawe Esosa cited records from the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs indicating installations in Edo State, disputing ZTE’s assertion that the project was limited to Abuja and Lagos.
Similarly, Akinlayo dismissed claims of installations in Ekiti State, insisting there was no visible deployment across the state.
Tensions rose further when Momoh attributed gaps in his responses to his recent appointment in 2023, noting that officials involved in the original contract were no longer with the company. Lawmakers warned this could amount to evasion and hinted at possible referral to the Nigerian Bar Association.
Meanwhile, a representative of the apex bank, Josiah Okike, advised the committee to channel its directive through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. He disclosed that as of March 2026, ZTE was due to receive $15.37 million under the loan repayment arrangement.
