The USPF, originally domiciled under the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), was established to finance telecom infrastructure and bridge the digital divide in rural and unserved areas.

The Federal Government inaugurated the new board on March 27, 2026. In a letter dated May 9, 2026, SERAP urged the President to direct Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, alongside Yomi Arowosafe, USPF secretary to explain the whereabouts of the funds and submit to investigation by anti-corruption agencies.

But beyond SERAP’s petition lies a troubling timeline: the Auditor-General’s report had already been in the public domain for months before the latest public outcry, yet there has been no known presidential directive, public response, or announced investigation into the allegations.

According to details highlighted by SERAP from the Auditor-General’s report, the alleged infractions include failure by the USPF to remit over ₦13.8 billion in operating surplus between 2016 and 2019, questionable payments for international trainings during the COVID-19 lockdown, contracts worth over ₦2.8 billion allegedly awarded without approvals, and irregular consultancy and connectivity project payments.

The report also alleged that the USPF maintained an undisclosed domiciliary account and failed to grant the Auditor-General access to some financial records.

For stakeholders in Nigeria’s digital economy, the allegations cut deeper than financial misconduct.

Analysts warn that any diversion of USPF resources directly threatens national efforts toward broadband expansion, digital inclusion, rural connectivity, e-learning, telemedicine, and access to online economic opportunities.

SERAP argued that the consequences are especially severe for underserved communities that depend on public interventions for internet access and communications infrastructure.

The organisation said failure to act could worsen inequality and further exclude millions of Nigerians from participation in the digital economy.

The development comes at a time when the Federal Government continues to promote ambitious digital transformation policies and broadband penetration targets under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

Observers say the prolonged silence surrounding the allegations risks undermining public confidence in government-led digital inclusion programmes, especially as telecom consumers continue to grapple with poor connectivity and infrastructure gaps in many rural areas.

SERAP has now given the Federal Government seven days to act or face possible legal action aimed at compelling investigation and recovery of the funds.

In a joint statement issued in Abuja on Nigeria’s Democracy Day, top officials from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Finland, and Norway called attention to the troubling use of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act. 

Their message was that Nigeria’s attempt to regulate cyberspace must not come at the cost of civil liberties or democratic accountability.

According to Richard Mills, Jr. (U.S. Embassy), Richard Montgomery (British High Commission), Sanna Selin (Embassy of Finland), Svein Baera (Embassy of Norway), and Pasquale Salvaggio (Canadian High Commission), the amended Cybercrime Act is a growing threat to press freedom, freedom of expression, and investor confidence. 

“Free expression has been the core value of Nigeria’s democracy. Nigeria’s constitution enshrines the right to freedom of expression to protect citizens’ rights and foster a society where ideas can be freely debated,” the diplomats stated.

Initially introduced in 2015 and amended in 2024 to align with modern digital realities, the law has been increasingly used to arrest and charge journalists, bloggers, and online critics under ambiguous offences such as ‘cyberstalking’ and ‘defamation.’

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in an advisory issued in April, warned that state actors have been misusing the law to go after activists and media professionals. The pattern has become difficult to ignore. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that at least 29 journalists have faced prosecution under the Act since its inception, largely based on vague interpretations of “online harassment.”

The 2022 ruling by the ECOWAS Court of Justice further reinforced these fears, declaring the Act inconsistent with Nigeria’s international obligations on human rights and freedom of speech.

Beyond civil liberties, the diplomats are sounding the alarm over the economic implications of the current legislation. “The vague provisions of the Cybercrime Act contribute to legal uncertainty, making it difficult for businesses and investors to assess regulatory risk. This hampers growth in sectors that depend on digital content and innovation,” they warned.

This legal grey area not only threatens Nigeria’s digital economy vision but may also undercut its global competitiveness. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) places the country’s annual cybercrime losses at $500 million, proof that regulation is necessary, but not at the cost of freedom or investor confidence.

Efforts to fix the legislation are underway, but progress is slow. The Council of Europe’s Global Action on Cybercrime project is supporting Nigeria to align its legal framework with international best practices, yet the pace has been sluggish. While the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, has promised cooperation with lawmakers, actual movement on the review has stalled.

The foreign missions have urged Nigeria to take the review process seriously. “Reforming the Cybercrimes Act is not only about free speech—it’s about creating the right environment for innovation, job creation, and economic development,” the statement said.

They emphasised that Nigeria’s ability to maintain a stable democracy and a solid digital economy hinges on its willingness to protect rights while tackling legitimate cybersecurity threats.

“Democracies around the world are grappling with similar challenges in the digital age. We urge Nigeria to seize this opportunity to lead by example in ensuring both security and freedom thrive together.”

Pressure is also coming from within. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has consistently called for a halt to the abuse of the Cybercrimes Act. The group recently urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to stop the harassment and detention of critics under what it called “vaguely worded provisions.”

SERAP stated, “The continuing use of vaguely worded provisions of the Cybercrimes Act to intimidate and criminalize individuals who hold critical opinions or expose public sector corruption is repressive and unlawful.”

The group argues that arrests under the guise of cyberstalking or defamation directly violate Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, treaties to which Nigeria is legally bound.

Even as Nigeria attempts to position itself as a regional tech hub and a secure investment destination, its handling of digital rights could be the deciding factor. A law meant to prevent financial crime online is now a tool of fear for many citizens simply expressing an opinion.

Without urgent reforms, the Cybercrimes Act may continue to erode Nigeria’s democratic credentials, and also its economic potential. The call is now louder than ever, from inside and outside the country, protect rights, reform the law, and make room for both security and freedom.

The group has given a 48-hour deadline, vowing to sue the parties involved if the hike is not rescinded within the stipulated time.

In a statement shared via its official social media platform, SERAP described the tariff increase as a violation of Nigerians’ rights to affordable communication. The group’s tweet read:

“The Tinubu administration and telcos must immediately reverse the unlawful increase in calls and data costs. We’ll see in court if the 50% tariff hike is not reversed within 48 hours.”

The new tariff rates, approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), are worrisome, particularly among small business owners and students who depend heavily on affordable telecom services for their daily activities.

Under the revised rates, the minimum cost for phone calls has risen from ₦6.40 to ₦9.60 per minute, while average call rates have jumped from ₦11 to ₦15.50 per minute. 

SMS charges are now ₦6 per message, up from ₦4. Data costs have also surged, with a gigabyte increasing from ₦350 to ₦525, placing further stress on consumers already struggling with inflation and high living costs.

The telecom tariffs adjustment is the first significant change since 2013. The NCC, in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Mr Reuben Muoka, justified the increase as a response to the high costs of operations faced by telecom operators.

The NCC explained that while some network operators had proposed a 100% hike, the approved adjustment was capped at 50% following consultations with stakeholders. It assured Nigerians that the decision aligns with its mandate to balance consumer protection with industry sustainability.

“The NCC recognises the financial pressures faced by households and businesses. These adjustments are necessary to support operators in maintaining quality services while investing in infrastructure and innovation, the statement noted.

SERAP, however, contends that the tariff increase was implemented without sufficient transparency or public consultation. The organisation says that such a decision, affecting millions of Nigerians, must comply with constitutional and legal provisions.

The group also noted the possible impact of the hike on small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), many of which rely on affordable telecom services to drive productivity and revenue.

The tariff increase comes even as economic challenges in Nigeria are not getting better, including inflation and subsidy removals. The decision will worsen the financial burden on citizens, particularly those in vulnerable economic positions.

They are meant to be agents of development, more especially at the grassroots level, while engaging the citizenry with a deliberate agenda to awaken their awareness and desire for positive social changes that would enhance their quality of life while driving them to make their world a better place.

Non-governmental organisations are supposed to be interventionist bodies that are formed to improve the quality of life for people through various means, some of which are one or more out of the provision of necessities such as food, clothing, improvement of educational and healthcare infrastructure and provision of materials, training and many more that would improve the quality of life and enhance employment opportunities.

Aware of these herculean but noble tasks, when the United Nations was formed in 1945, Chapter 10, Article 71 in its Charter recognized them as such provided they remain nonprofit entities and independent of governmental influence, even if they receive certain funding from the government. That was probably inspired by The Anti-Slavery Society, arguably the first NGO in the world.

In Nigeria, the earliest NGO formally recognised was that to do with the work of Mary Selessor against the killing of twins considered evil in Calabar.

However, there are so many now in Nigeria that it may be impossible for even the government to know some, considering our poor database system.

Even though according to AllAfrica, a multi-media content provider, systems technology developer and the source-of-record for African news and information worldwide, there are over 46,000 NGOs in Nigeria, lack of proper monitoring has given some a window to engage in activities detrimental to our well-being as a nation.

The nefarious activities associated with some of them have made some states tag some of them with the toga of ‘persona non grata’, booting them out of their states.

Some prominent NGOs in Nigeria, some bearing names of individuals and some reflecting their works include the TY Danjuma Foundation, the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Amnesty International, the North East Regional Initiative, and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

There are many others such as the Solutions for Internally Displaced (SOLID) People Project, Saving One Million Lives Programme, Africa Hope Alive Initiative, Mental Aware Nigeria Initiative, CLEEN Foundation, Federation of International Female Lawyers, Global Peace Foundation, etc.

However, apart from states that halted the activities of some NGOs, the federal government has had occasions to altercate with some of them because they deliberately incite the public or their beneficiaries against constituted authorities.

Some of them prefer beneficiaries that will always be at loggerheads with the government; to them, such are friends deserving of more and more patronage.

Apart from all these, most of them are not corrupt free or super accountable as they want the world to believe. For those bearing respected people’s names, is it in collusion with the individuals or are they being blindsided?

• When beneficiaries’ grants are in foreign currency, for instance, some of the NGOs “help” the beneficiaries by converting the funds into naira for them.

However, in a show of corruption bordering on fraud, they do not do the conversions based on any known parameter: not official rate and not parallel market rates.

While what they give is always lower than official or black-market rates, beneficiaries never get to see the excess, which invariably affects their activities.

Yet these are organisations purposely established to fight corruption and mismanagement in governance as well as fight for accountability and transparency among public officers.

The NGOs mostly get their funding from abroad as conduits to beneficiary bodies here. Do their funders abroad know of this misappropriation? Will they condone it if they knew? Is the government aware of such vices that can be deemed as sabotaging the nation’s economy?

The federal government needs to set up an inquiry into how many of these NGOs run their activities, including giving more encouragement to subversive elements and those calling on the depredation of national assets and how they utilize their funding, including how they disburse them to beneficiaries.

While we intend to subsequently present three-year evidence of such malfeasance to aid any action the government intends to pursue, we believe the Nigerian government must come out with a new policy that would guide the activities of all NGOs.

Many of them can be rightly said to be tools of neo-colonialism and outright agents of foreign intelligence services in the way they go about their activities. The amount of information they have at their disposal, using local organisations is far more than the Nigerian state has.

However, others are genuinely concerned with the well-being of Nigerians and are actively impacting positively on the lives of people in both rural and urban areas.

They do not short-change beneficiaries because they are aware that they are not a profit-making body and therefore they do not collect funding from A, meant for B, but end up not giving to Caesar what belongs to him because Caesar has no way of asking A what was due to him.

They also do not, under the carpet, encourage and empower elements that see the governments of the day as enemies, fighting them, weakening them in such a way that the future becomes uncertain.

• Hence we will look at basically two such NGOs, the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The WSCIJ is a “non-profit, non-governmental organization with social justice programmes aimed at exposing corruption, regulatory failures, and human rights abuses with investigative journalism.” SERAP desires to “advance transparency, accountability and respect for economic and social rights through other means such as media advocacy, public impact and strategic litigation, capacity building, institutional building, and education and awareness.”

…To be continued.

[Featured Image Credit]

SERAP also urged the governors to provide information on the projects executed with these loans, including their details and locations.

The group, which made the demands in a Freedom of Information request dated March 30, 2024 and signed by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, said the request is for the purpose of making this information available to the public.

SERAP also urged them to invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the spending of the domestic and external loans obtained by the state government and the FCT.

It stated that Nigerians have the right to know how their states are spending the domestic and external loans obtained by the governors.

SERAP said widely publishing copies of the loan agreements and spending details of the loans obtained would ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties in the management of public funds.

The FoI requests, read in part, “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 your state to comply with our request in the public interest.

“SERAP is seriously concerned that many of the country’s 36 states and FCT are allegedly mismanaging public funds which may include domestic and external loans obtained from bilateral and multilateral institutions and agencies.

“Transparency in the spending of the loans obtained by your state is fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, and build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.

“According to Nigeria’s Debt Management Office, the total public domestic debt portfolio for the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is N5.9 trillion. The total public external debt portfolio is $4.6 billion.

“Many states and the FCT reportedly owe civil servants’ salaries and pensions. Several states are borrowing to pay salaries. Millions of Nigerians resident in your state and the FCT continue to be denied access to basic public goods and services such as quality education and healthcare.

“Several states including your state are also reportedly spending public funds which may include the domestic and external loans to fund unnecessary travels, buy exotic and bulletproof cars and generally fund the lavish lifestyles of politicians,” the organisation said.

SERAP also maintained that it is seriously concerned that the domestic and external loans obtained by the states and the FCT are vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement.

“Your government has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how any loans obtained by your state are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement,” it added.

The group also called for the probe of the loans acquired by the state governors in Nigeria.

Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s deputy director, made the demand in a letter addressed to Ajay Banga, the World Bank President.

While expressing concerns over the rising debt profile of the 36 states, SERAP alleged that the states had mismanaged and diverted public funds, stressing that it would be irresponsible to continue giving loans to the states.

SERAP noted that if the World Bank failed to probe the state governors, it would not hesitate to institute legal actions against the lending body and the 36 states.

‘’The World Bank and its partners cannot continue to give loans and other funding to these states where there are credible allegations of mismanagement or diversion of public funds.

‘’We are concerned that there is a significant risk of mismanagement or diversion of funds linked to the bank’s investments in many of the country’s 36 states. It is neither appropriate nor responsible lending to give loans to these states only for the loans to be misspent.

‘’The World Bank’s lending and support for these states may create the impression of complicity in the allegations of mismanagement or diversion of public funds by the states, which may include loans from the Bank and its partners and federal allocations. We would consider the option of pursuing legal action should the World Bank fail or fail to implement the recommendations contained in this letter, and we may join the country’s 36 states in any such suit.

‘’According to Nigeria’s Debt Management Office, the total public debt portfolio for the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is N9.17tn. The Federal Government’s total public debt portfolio is N78.2tn.’’

SERAP urged the World Bank to use its legal powers to send independent monitors to all the states that had acquired loans from it and monitor how those loans were being spent so that loans acquired by the governors would not be used to fund their private lifestyle.

‘’SERAP also urges you to demand an expressed commitment from Nigeria’s 36 governors to address credible allegations of mismanagement or diversion of public funds in their states and provide guarantees that loans and funding from the Bank and its partners would not be used to fund the luxurious lifestyles of politicians.

‘’The World Bank currently has a portfolio of about $8.5bn spread across the country. The bank has also approved several loans and other funding facilities to the country’s 36 states, including the recent $750m credit line meant for the states to carry out reforms to attract investment and create jobs. The accounts of Nigeria’s 36 states are generally not open to public scrutiny, as many of them continue to refuse freedom of information requests seeking transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds.

‘’The bank has a legal responsibility to ensure that suspected perpetrators are brought to justice and that any mismanaged or diverted public funds are returned to the treasuries of the states. The World Bank has the legal obligation to observe and promote compliance with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and domestic laws, including the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007.’’

[Source]

Nigerians have shown disapproval over the gift, especially in the face of a crisis such as the nearly six-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to demand a refund of the N1.4 billion given to the Niger Republic for the purchase of official vehicles.

SERAP made the demand on its verified Twitter handle.

Reacting to this, SERAP tweeted, “The Buhari administration must immediately ask Niger Republic authorities to refund the N1.4 billion approved for them to buy vehicles, and use the money to offset the funding for ASUU, so those poor children can go back to school”.

Finance Minister Confirms N1.4b Gift

Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, on Wednesday, confirmed that the Federal Government approved N1.4 billion for the “supply of 10 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles to the Republic of Niger.”

The minister said Nigeria has always been providing such interventions to neighboring countries including Chad, Cameroon, and many others.

Ahmed explained that Buhari reserved the right to take decisions in the interest of the country and its citizens.

“Let me just say that over time, Nigeria has had to support its neighbors, especially the immediate neighbors, to enhance their capacity to secure their countries as it relates to us.

“This is not the first time that Nigeria has assisted the Niger Republic, Cameroon, or Chad.

“The President assesses as to what is required based on the request of their Presidents. Such requests are approved and interventions are provided.

“It is to enhance their capacity to protect their countries, as it relates to security and also to Nigeria.

“Nigerians have the right to ask questions, but also the President has the responsibility to assess what is in the best interest of the country and I cannot question the decision myself,” she said.