NSITF — N3.4bn non-existent staff training contracts (plus N48bn earlier looting allegation)
This section is being converted from structural scaffolding into verified source-backed records. Treat unsourced fields as under review until each row displays a source link and confidence label. See our evidence standards and source-work roadmap.
What happened
In July 2020, the Minister of Labour and Employment suspended the NSITF management after preliminary investigations found prima facie infractions of financial regulations and the Procurement Act: N3.4bn 'squandered on non-existent staff training split into about 196 different consultancy contracts in order to evade the Ministerial Tenders Board and Federal Executive Council approval' — N2.3bn documented and paid for work never done, plus N1.1bn awaiting payment, per the ministry's statement reported by BusinessDay. The ministry also cited unapproved construction of 14 zonal/regional offices in 14 states. In the same statement, the ministry alleged a prior board and management had looted N48bn from the Fund and were being tried by the EFCC — an allegation, not a finding.
Red flags
Analytical observations against standard procurement-integrity patterns — not accusations.
Analytical observation: the ministry alleged one training programme was split into ~196 consultancy contracts specifically to stay below Ministerial Tenders Board/FEC approval thresholds — a classic threshold-evasion pattern. Attributed to the Labour ministry's statement (BusinessDay, Jul 2020).
Analytical observation: N2.3bn was documented and paid while 'no job done' according to the ministry's preliminary findings — payment without delivery (BusinessDay, Jul 2020).
Analytical observation: 14 zonal/regional office constructions were undertaken without Board or ministerial knowledge or approval, some duplicative — capital expenditure outside governance controls (BusinessDay, Jul 2020).
Sources
A rabbit hole where every click reveals deeper connected corruption. Every thread connects — follow one.