No Nigerian Counted By Nasir Kwarra National Population Commission Yet He Spent N12.5 Billion For Procurement

Secrets Reporters

As Nigeria undertook its long-awaited population and housing census in 2023, a review of procurement and contract transactions at the National Population Commission has identified ₦12,516,702,236.21 in irregularities involving information technology contracts, procurement procedures, unverified works and supplies, and payments to contractors.

The largest finding, valued at ₦4,421,730,975.53, involved an Information Technology contract awarded without the required clearance from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

NITDA states that it serves as the clearing house for government IT projects and that federal public institutions are required to obtain clearance for their IT projects. The requirement is anchored on the National Information Technology Development Agency Act 2007, particularly Section 6, which empowers NITDA to develop frameworks, standards, guidelines, and regulations for information technology practices and systems. The NITDA Guidelines for Clearance of IT Projects further require Federal Public Institutions to obtain clearance for their IT projects. 

Similarly, ₦4,175,682,985.28 was identified in connection with the circumvention of procurement procedures. The Public Procurement Act 2007 requires public procurement to be conducted in accordance with prescribed procurement procedures, including open competitive bidding, transparency, accountability, competition, economy and efficiency. Section 16(1)(c)-(f) specifically provides for open competitive bidding and procurement conducted in a transparent and accountable manner aimed at achieving value for money. 

Additionally, ₦2,894,465,032.25 was identified in contracts for works and supplies paid for in 2022 for which evidence sufficient to verify execution was not available. Under the Public Procurement Act 2007, procurement proceedings are subject to prescribed procedures and documentation, while the Act’s procurement framework provides for procurement planning, implementation, contract administration and records of procurement proceedings. Section 16 establishes the fundamental principles governing public procurement, including accountability and conformity with the Act and regulations made under it. 

A further ₦861,682,410.11 was linked to a separate Information and Communication Technology contract award which was also found to have deficiencies in the procurement process.

Moreover, ₦163,141,818.04 was flagged as a payment to a contractor requiring further justification. The payment falls within the procurement and contract-accountability framework established by the Public Procurement Act 2007, which requires public procurement to be transparent, accountable and conducted in conformity with the Act and its regulations. The Act also provides for records of procurement proceedings and oversight of procurement activities. 

The transactions occurred in 2022 and 2023, including the period in which the National Population Commission was preparing for and conducting the 2023 population and housing census, under Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra.