Auditor-General finds NPC paid N245bn for census contracts without proof, urges fund recovery
The Auditor-General's July 2024 report revealed the National Population Commission paid over N245 billion for 2023 census-related contracts without adequate evidence of delivery, inflated prices, and breached procurement rules. The largest issue: N131.56 billion paid for 800,000 Personal Digital Assistants with no credible proof receipt—relying on handwritten entries instead of delivery notes or vouchers.
The report also found N1.45 billion inflated in three PDA contracts by changing Bureau of Public Procurement-approved specifications, N4.43 billion paid for a Mobile Device Management subscription after the census was postponed, N96.8 billion in local content contracts violating BPP directives, N6.23 billion ICT project executed without a Bill of Quantities, and N4.73 billion awarded to a contractor allegedly lacking technical qualifications. The NPC failed to respond to audit queries in multiple cases.
Auditor-General Shaakaa Chira recommends the NPC Director-General account to the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committees, recover and remit the disputed funds to the Treasury, and provide evidence of remittance. With Ojogun Osifo's tenure ending July 2026 and Abuh Muhammed now in charge, the current leadership faces pressure to implement these recommendations. Given the scale involves hundreds of billions in public funds meant for national planning, will the new DG prioritize transparency and fund recovery to restore trust in Nigeria's data infrastructure?