Security Alert! Nigeria Requires N3billion to Power CCTV Yearly

The House of Representatives Committee on the Close Circuit Television Cameras, CCTV, has revealed that about N3 billion is required to fuel base stations in the country.

A member of the committee,  Oghere Emma Egoh, made this  known during an inspection of installation sites in Lagos on Monday, May 23.

The Lower Chamber had recently directed its committees on information and communication technology (ICT), public safety and national security to probe the failure of ZTE Corporation to execute contract for the installation of CCTV Cameras, in Abuja and Lagos, years after it was awarded by the federal government.

The contract was for the Chinese telecommunication giant to install 2,000 digital solar powered cameras, (1,000 each for Abuja and Lagos), 37 switch rooms, MW backbone, 37 coalition emergency response system, 38 video conference subsystems, 37 e-police systems, six emergency communication vehicles and 1.5 million subscriber lines, designed to be funded by the federal government and the China Export Bank.

“We have carried out some random sampling and we have seen that the cameras are actually in place but what is appalling is that everywhere is quiet, none of the equipment has been put into use because there is no diesel to power the equipment,” Egoh said.

“We have been told that fueling will cost about N3 billion annually across the country. I see this as being on the high side, but if we can get electricity right, the problem will be half solved,” he said.

He stated  that for a project that was worth N90 billion, ideally, nothing should prevent it from working to add value to the people.