SERAP Demands Probe Into Missing ₦26.9bn Telecom Fund

Anti-corruption group SERAP has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate investigation into the alleged disappearance of ₦26.9 billion from the Universal Service Provision Fund, saying the scandal has cost rural Nigerians access to basic digital infrastructure.

In a letter dated May 9, 2026, SERAP’s Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare urged the president to direct Communications Minister Bosun Tijani and USPF Secretary Yomi Arowosafe to explain what happened to the funds meant for expanding telecom access in rural and underserved communities.

The group is also asking the Attorney General Lateef Fagemi and anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute anyone found responsible. SERAP gave the government seven days to act or face legal action.

What the Auditor-General found

SERAP cited the 2022 audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, published in September 2025, which exposed multiple financial irregularities in the USPF’s operations.

The report allegedly shows the fund failed to remit over ₦13.8 billion in operating surplus between 2016 and 2019. The Auditor-General warned this money may have been diverted and recommended its recovery and return to the treasury.

Other questionable items include over ₦11.7 million claimed for international training in October 2020 without supporting documents like invitations or certificates — suspicious given COVID-19 travel restrictions were in place at the time.

More allegations

The audit reportedly found contracts worth ₦2.8 billion awarded without proper approval, ₦8 million paid to a non-existent fund manager, and ₦6.4 billion spent on projects not in the approved 2020 budget. Another ₦2.8 billion spent between January and May 2021 lacked documentation.

SERAP also noted the USPF failed to collect and remit over ₦333 million in stamp duties and did not deduct more than ₦144 million in withholding tax from consultant payments. Payments exceeding ₦390 million went to consultants for projects with no proof of execution.

Why it matters

The USPF exists to bring telecommunications infrastructure to areas commercial operators won’t serve. When its funds go missing, rural communities lose their chance at internet access and digital inclusion.

Poor connectivity affects Nigerians’ ability to access information, education, and basic public services, SERAP noted. The group warned that continued lack of accountability deepens inequality and cuts off vulnerable communities from digital services entirely.

The Universal Service Provision Fund is managed by the Nigerian Communications Commission and funded through levies on telecom operators.

Sources: ThisDay Live, Punch Newspapers, SERAP official letter, Auditor-General report 2022