HEDA Petitions EFCC Over Isa Pantami’s Alleged ₦18.9bn Broadband Contract Fraud
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, over the alleged diversion or misappropriation of ₦18.9 billion allocated for broadband infrastructure projects. In a petition dated October 9, 2026, and signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil society organisation alleged that the projects, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on March 29, 2023, were not executed despite the award of contracts and a four-month delivery deadline. According to the petition, a FEC memorandum put the contract value at ₦18.976 billion, covering broadband infrastructure at selected airports and tertiary institutions nationwide. Ten contractors were assigned airport projects worth about ₦5.527 billion, while 19 contractors were awarded institutional projects valued at approximately ₦12.784 billion. HEDA urged the EFCC to establish whether the contractors were paid, trace funds released, and determine why the projects were allegedly not completed. It also called for a forensic audit, physical verification and an investigation into the roles of Pantami, other officials, contractors and technical auditors. The group further asked the commission to reconcile the ₦18.976 billion in the FEC memorandum with the approximately ₦24.2 billion publicly announced by Pantami in 2023. It said the broader figure reportedly included ₦5.25 billion for broadband projects in six markets, for which it had not obtained comparable details. HEDA also called for scrutiny of the procurement process, including the use of the Direct Procurement method, contractor selection and beneficial ownership. While noting that the contracts were approved shortly before the end of the Buhari administration, the organisation said the timing alone did not establish wrongdoing but warranted investigation alongside the alleged non-execution of the projects. HEDA further urged the EFCC to recover any misappropriated funds and prosecute anyone found culpable, stressing that the petition was a call for an independent investigation and not a presumption of guilt.
