The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to refer allegations of the diversion or non-accounting of over ?6.3 billion in constituency project funds to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and possible prosecution.

The group also urged the National Assembly leadership to ensure that anyone found culpable is prosecuted where sufficient admissible evidence exists, while all diverted or unaccounted public funds are recovered and paid into the treasury.

In a letter dated June 27, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the allegations were contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2022 Annual Report, published on September 9, 2025.

The organisation disclosed this in a statement signed and released by Oluwadare, yesterday.

SERAP also asked Akpabio and Abbas to disclose the identities of contractors and companies, including their shareholders and beneficial owners, that allegedly received constituency project funds but failed to execute the projects.

It gave the National Assembly seven days to act on its recommendations, warning that it would institute legal proceedings should the legislature fail to respond.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter stated.

It said, “The allegations involve several federal ministries, departments and agencies, including the Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON); the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Volm; the Federal Polytechnic, Udana; the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP); and the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

“The Auditor-General identified numerous cases of payments into private bank accounts, contracts awarded without due process, payments for contracts not executed or services not rendered, undocumented expenditures, inflated contracts, procurement irregularities and failures to account for public funds, recommending in each case that the funds be recovered and remitted to the treasury.

“According to the 2022 audited report, contained in pages 367 to 396, the Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON or Council) Abuja paid over ‘N22 million [N22,944,565.16] into the private account of some members of staff of the Council from the Constituency Projects Fund Account.

“There ‘was no evidence of the utilization of the funds and no explanations on the purpose for the payment of such amount into the individual accounts.”

SERAP added, “The Council (EHORECON) also in 2021 ‘awarded suspicious consultancy contracts of over N12 million [N12,030,818.29] for the development of Modern Abattoirs in Kebbi State and the supervision of 7 projects in Kebbi, Jigawa, and Headquarters Abuja.

“The money was to ‘produce bills of quantity, architectural design, structural design, mechanical design, and electrical designs for the contracts and supervision.’ But ‘the ‘items could not be found.’”

Altogether, SERAP said the Auditor-General’s 2022 report alleged EHORECON paid more than ?1.8 billion in constituency project funds through questionable transactions.

For the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, SERAP said the institution “in 2022 reportedly ‘paid over N279 million [N279,700,500.00] to 3 contractors to empower and train youths in selected vocational areas in Borgu and Kontagora, Niger State, train women and youths in entrepreneurship in Niger East Senatorial District and to train youths and women in agro production and self-reliance in Barki Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency, Plateau State.

“But the money was paid to the contractors without any document.’”

Other irregularities involving the college include another ?279.7 million in mobilisation fees allegedly paid without documentation, and more than ?629.4 million paid to unqualified contractors for various constituency projects without evidence of due process, contract advertisements or details of the contractors.

SERAP further alleged that the Auditor-General’s report identified multiple financial irregularities involving the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, Akwa Ibom State, including over ?407 million allegedly paid as mobilisation fees without supporting documents, more than ?399 million paid to unqualified contractors, contracts allegedly inflated by over ?192 million, over ?279 million paid for projects not fully executed, ?50 million allegedly paid for an unexecuted borehole project, and more than ?83 million disbursed without the required documentation or approvals.

It also alleged that NAPTIP reportedly irregularly awarded contracts worth over ?21.8 million, paid more than ?176.8 million for logistics and consultancy services without supporting documents, and disbursed over ?89.6 million and ?4.4 million for projects that were allegedly not executed.

The report also alleged that NILDS failed to submit audited financial statements for 2012 to 2022, did not remit over ?15 million in stamp duties, and spent ?1.6 million without authorisation from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

SERAP said the report recommended the recovery of the affected funds and their remittance to the treasury.

It argued that corruption in constituency projects disproportionately affects poor and vulnerable Nigerians by diverting resources meant for public services and development.

It added that the National Assembly, in exercising its oversight responsibilities, should demonstrate leadership by ensuring accountability in the management of constituency project funds.

The organisation further argued that the allegations, if established, would amount to breaches of the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and the Public Procurement Act 2007, which require transparency, accountability and due process in the management of public resources.

The Rivers State Government has assured the timely completion of all ongoing projects in the State.

The State Commissioner for Works, Professor (Engr) Temple Nwofor, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen during the June induction ceremony of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Port Harcourt branch, at the weekend in Port Harcourt.

He said most ongoing projects have their timeline and will be completed as scheduled.

“All our ongoing projects are doing well. They are doing well.

” I don’t think there are any issues with them, they are progressing very well .

“They all have their timeline, those that have their timeline will definitely finish, most of the signature projects,” he said.

Nwofor who was the Guest of Honour at the induction ceremony, also called for continuous professional development among Engineers to keep them abreast with modern trends in the profession.

He also urged them to acquire other skills that will make them useful in their careers.

Speaking on “Engineering Beyond the Drawing Board Through Ethical Leadership and Service To Society,” the guest lecturer, Dr Ibiye Amafabia called for continuous professional development.

“Ethical leadership demands that we stay current through continuous professional development.

“Leverage on trainings, workshops, seminars and conferences organised by NSE and your various divisions to keep yourselves abreast of new development.”

Amafabia further said engineers must be accountable for any projects, and and warned against shifting of blame especially when projects fail.

She also urged engineers to be good citizens of their communities by helping their xommunities overcome challenges of flooding, building collapse and oil spills, among others.

“In Port Harcourt, the capital of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, the ethical challenges are immense.

“We see the environmental impact of decades of extraction, we see the tension between industrial profit and community well-being.

“The ethical engineer is a mediator, a steward of the environment and an advocate for the vulnerable,” she said.

In his welcome address, Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Port Harcourt branch, Engr. Belema Ekine, said the society has a rich legacy of excellence, innovation and service spanning decades.

Ekine said engineers hold the key to solving complex challenges, shaping the infrastructure of communities and drive technological advancement that benefits society at large.

He charged the new inductees to see themselves as torchbearers of the society future, saying “it is upon your shoulders that the responsibility rests to uphold the highest standard of professionalism, ethics and integrity.

“Embrace the principles of lifelong learning, for the field of engineering is ever evolving.

“Seek opportunities for continuous growth, nurture your skills and stay at the forefront of emerging technologies.” he charged.

John Bibor/Alyede Promise/Membere Orinaemi/Iyoma Oluebube

Nigeria’s telecommunications industry sustained its growth trajectory in April 2026, with active mobile subscriptions rising to 188.01 million and broadband penetration reaching 55.67 percent.

This is according to the latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The data showed that active telephony subscriptions increased to 188,009,171 in April from the previous month, pushing the country’s teledensity to 86.73 percent, up from 85.67 percent recorded in March.

The figures indicate continued expansion in access to telecommunications services, driven by growing demand for mobile voice and data services across the country.

An analysis of the subscriber base showed that MTN Nigeria maintained leadership position with 96,391,419 active subscribers, representing more than half of Nigeria’s total mobile subscriptions.

Airtel Nigeria followed with 64,670,018 subscribers, while Globacom accounted for 23,178,597 subscribers. 9mobile, T2, recorded 3,538,021 active subscribers during the period.

The NCC data also reflected the ongoing migration of subscribers to faster broadband technologies.

According to the report, 4G remained the dominant mobile technology, accounting for 54.41 percent of all network connections in April, up from 53.76 percent in March.

Similarly, 5G adoption continued to gather momentum, with its market share increasing from 4.20 per cent in March to 4.34 per cent in April.

In contrast, the share of 2G subscriptions declined to 35.93 percent from 36.74 percent, highlighting the gradual shift by consumers from legacy networks to higher-speed broadband services.

The 3G segment remained largely unchanged, accounting for 5.32 per cent of total connections, compared with 5.30 per cent in the previous month.

The commission further disclosed that total internet subscriptions stood at 154,724,088 in April.

Of the figure, 154,347,260 subscriptions came from mobile GSM networks, while fixed-wired internet subscriptions totaled 156,662. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services accounted for 220,166 subscriptions.

Broadband subscriptions also recorded significant growth during the month, increasing to 120,684,625 from 117,710,397 recorded in March.

Consequently, broadband penetration improved from 54.30 percent to 55.67 percent, reflecting continued investment in broadband infrastructure and increased adoption of high-speed internet services by consumers and businesses.

However, despite the increase in internet and broadband subscriptions, total internet data consumption declined slightly.

Internet usage dropped marginally to 1,414,848.70 terabytes (TB) in April from 1,422,764.54TB recorded in March, suggesting that while more Nigerians are coming online, overall data consumption remained relatively stable during the period.

Meanwhile, the telecommunications sector continued to make a substantial contribution to the Nigerian economy, accounting for 9.19 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, in the first quarter of 2026.

The latest figures reinforce the sector’s strategic role in driving Nigeria’s digital economy, with industry stakeholders maintaining that sustained investment in broadband infrastructure, wider 5G deployment and improved quality of service will further accelerate digital inclusion, innovation and economic growth.