Reps asks CBN to halt payment to ZTE over ‘vague’ $460m CCTV project

The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee probing the $460 million Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance project has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend any further disbursements to ZTE Corporation pending satisfactory explanations on the execution of the contract.

The resolution was adopted on Tuesday after lawmakers expressed frustration over what they described as inconsistencies, vague responses, and a lack of transparency from ZTE officials regarding the scope, deployment locations, and current operational status of the project.

The CCTV project was initiated under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan as part of efforts to strengthen urban security through modern surveillance systems.

Funded through a loan agreement with the Chinese government and executed by ZTE Corporation, the initiative was designed to deploy thousands of cameras across major cities, including Abuja and Lagos, supported by integrated command-and-control centres to aid law enforcement.

The committee mandated the company to reappear with comprehensive and verifiable documentation, including detailed inventory of all equipment supplied and installed, precise locations of the infrastructure nationwide, as well as the identities and contact details of the 456 Nigerians the company claimed were trained to operate and maintain the system.

In his opening remarks, Donald Ojogo, Chairman of the Committee clarified that the exercise was not a witch-hunt but a fact-finding mission aimed at addressing growing public concern.

Irene Momoh, a representative of the company said ZTE supplied and installed CCTV infrastructure in Abuja and Lagos, adding that the project was completed between 2011 and 2012.

However, he could not provide answers on the current status of the project. “To the best of our knowledge, the equipment was delivered and installed within the project timeline, but I cannot confirm its present operational status,” he said.

The response sparked strong reactions from lawmakers, who questioned how a project of such magnitude could lack a sustainable maintenance and continuity framework.

Momoh explained that ZTE had an initial three-month maintenance agreement, which it voluntarily extended to six months before handing over the system. He attributed the project’s decline to the government’s inability to sustain funding post-handover.

“There was no continued funding from the government to maintain and run the system after handover,” he added.

Despite this explanation, lawmakers challenged several of the company’s claims, particularly on the geographical spread of the installations.

Citing documents from the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, Iyawe Esosa, a member of the ad-hoc committtrr disputed ZTE’s assertion that installations were limited to Abuja and Lagos.

“Official records indicate installations in Edo State. As someone who lives in Benin City, I can confidently say these facilities do not exist in the listed locations,” he said.

Momoh, however, maintained that all items captured in the Bill of Quantities were duly supplied and installed in accordance with contractual terms.

“None of the locations listed, including Ado-Ekiti, has any of these facilities. Outside Lagos, there is no visible deployment in the South-West,” he asserted.

Tensions escalated when Momoh attributed gaps in his responses to the fact that he only assumed office in 2023, noting that several officials involved in the original contract were no longer with the company. Lawmakers viewed this as an attempt to evade responsibility.

Meanwhile, Josiah Okike, a representative of the CBN, disclosed that as of March 2026, ZTE was due to receive $15.37 million under the loan arrangement.

He advised the committee to route its directive through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for proper implementation.