On Wednesday, 22nd October, 2025, the House of Representatives initiated an investigation into the contentious $460 million Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system in Abuja, amid increasing concerns regarding security and the loss of lives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This decision came after a motion was presented by Amobi Godwin Ogah, the representative for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, during a plenary session.
Ogah’s motion, titled “Urgent Need to Investigate the Rising Insecurity and Loss of Several Lives in Abuja despite the CCTV Project Funded by a Chinese Loan of $460 million,” highlighted the alarming rise in criminal activities in the capital city, despite significant investments in surveillance technology. He reminded the assembly that the CCTV project was initiated under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to bolster security monitoring in key locations throughout Abuja.
He pointed out that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Beijing back in 2010 by a delegation led by then-Finance Minister Dr. Olusegun Aganga with ZTE Communications, a Chinese company that received the contract. The financing for this project came from a $460 million loan from the China EXIM Bank, which was part of a larger $600 million soft credit facility that includes a 10-year grace period followed by another decade for repayment.
Ogah expressed his concern that, despite ongoing loan repayments, the CCTV system remains inoperative, while security issues in Abuja continue to escalate. “It is alarming that, despite this significant financial investment and the burden of loan repayments on Nigeria, the CCTV system’s effectiveness is nonexistent. Instead of improving safety, crime rates in Abuja have surged, resulting in daily reports of fatalities from unmonitored criminal activity,” he stated.
He further noted that Nigeria is burdened with servicing a loan for a non-functional CCTV project carried out by a Chinese contractor, which presents a troubling scenario for the nation.
In response, Edo lawmaker Billy Osawaru emphasized the need for legislators to ask critical questions regarding the situation. Consequently, the House approved the motion to establish an ad hoc committee tasked with investigating the expenditure of the $460 million loan and determining why the CCTV project has not fulfilled its intended goal of enhancing safety within the FCT. This committee is expected to summon all relevant government agencies and contractors involved in the project and report back to the House for further legislative action.
