The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the alleged misappropriation of ₦2.9 billion in public funds linked to the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA). In a letter dated April 11, 2026, signed by deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged the president to direct Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani, as well as the leadership of both agencies, to account for the missing funds. The group also asked the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and anti-corruption agencies to probe the allegations, which stem from the Auditor-General's report issued on September 9, 2025.
The report flagged numerous irregularities, including NIGCOMSAT's unauthorised ₦465 million investment in Gicell Wireless Ltd, made without approvals from the Minister of Science and Technology or the Accountant-General of the Federation. It noted no investment appraisal was conducted and raised concerns over valuation and exchange rate assumptions. NIGCOMSAT also made ineligible payments of over ₦3 million to staff, an unverified rent payment of over ₦4.3 million, and failed to remit over ₦507 million in revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The agency could not account for over ₦6 million for undelivered items and transferred ₦84.78 million irregularly between accounts.
For NNRA, the Auditor-General found ₦4.35 million spent on non-existent training, ₦16.7 million paid for unapproved ICT equipment, and ₦33.4 million spent on unsupplied items. The agency failed to retire ₦6.5 million in cash advances, paid ₦2.05 million for foreign training with no proof of attendance, and did not record ₦1.95 million collected via Remita. SERAP gave the government seven days to act, warning of legal action if accountability measures were not taken.
Bosun Tijani, as Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, now faces direct scrutiny over NIGCOMSAT's alleged financial collapse, with over ₦465 million sunk into an unauthorised investment in Gicell Wireless Ltd—a transaction executed without ministerial or fiscal approval. The fact that no investment appraisal was conducted, as confirmed in the Auditor-General's report, suggests either a breakdown in oversight or deliberate bypassing of financial safeguards, placing Tijani's supervisory role under question despite no personal wrongdoing being alleged.
This case reflects a deeper pattern of institutional erosion in agencies central to Nigeria's technological sovereignty and public safety. NIGCOMSAT, meant to drive digital infrastructure, and NNRA, responsible for nuclear safety, are both accused of systemic financial disarray—missing revenues, phantom payments, and undocumented transfers. That NNRA spent ₦33.4 million on undelivered goods and failed to account for ₦1.95 million in receipts reveals a culture where compliance is performative rather than operational. These are not mere accounting lapses but signs of agencies functioning without effective internal controls.
Ordinary Nigerians bear the cost through lost development funding and weakened public systems. The ₦507 million NIGCOMSAT failed to remit could have supported broadband expansion in underserved regions, while unchecked spending at NNRA risks regulatory failures with potential safety consequences. Citizens in rural communities relying on satellite-linked services and those living near nuclear facilities are particularly exposed.
This fits a broader trend: critical technical agencies are repeatedly flagged for financial abuse yet remain shielded from consequence. The recurrence in Auditor-General reports—ignored or under-acted upon—suggests accountability fatigue in governance. When warnings about revenue leaks and phantom projects are issued year after year with no systemic fix, the institutions meant to secure Nigeria's future become liabilities.
