LAGOS, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — A prominent Nigerian civil society organization on Sunday demanded that the leaders of the country’s National Assembly account for N18.6 billion ($18.6 billion Naira) allegedly missing from a contract for a new office complex, citing a recent report from the nation’s auditor-general.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to disclose the name of an alleged “fictitious construction company” that reportedly received the funds and to explain why proper procurement laws were ignored.
The demands follow what SERAP called “grave allegations” documented in the 2022 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, which was published on Sept. 9, 2025.
In a letter dated Oct. 18, SERAP gave the lawmakers seven days to act or face legal action.
“These grim allegations by the Auditor-General suggest grave violations of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and national and international anticorruption obligations,” SERAP stated in the letter signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
According to the auditor’s report cited by SERAP, the National Assembly Service Commission paid over N11.6 billion to an “unknown construction company” in August 2020 for the construction of the commission’s new complex. The report alleges the contract was later inflated by an additional N6.9 billion in November 2023 for the “conversion of the roof garden to office space,” bringing the total paid to N18.6 billion.
The Auditor-General’s report claims the contracts were awarded without a needs assessment, public advertisements for bidding, a formal contract agreement, or approval from the Federal Executive Council. The auditor fears the entire sum may be missing and has called for the money to be accounted for.
SERAP is demanding that Akpabio and Abbas “explain the failure to follow the Procurement Act” and “disclose the implementation status of the project.”
The organization argued that the National Assembly can only perform its oversight functions if it demonstrates transparency within its own affairs.
“Addressing the allegations would improve public confidence and trust in the ability of the National Assembly to exercise their constitutional and oversight responsibilities,” the letter read. “It would also show that the National Assembly is acting in the best interest of the people, and not for personal interest.”
SERAP threatened to “take all appropriate legal actions to compel” the National Assembly to comply with its request if no response is received within its seven-day deadline.
