The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently direct Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Yomi Arowosafe, Secretary of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to account for and explain the whereabouts of the alleged missing or diverted N26.9 billion of public funds from the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).

SERAP urged him to direct Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and effectively investigate the allegations that N26.9 billion of public funds are missing or diverted from USPF.

SERAP said, anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing or diverted public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.

The grave allegations are documented in the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General of the Federation on September 9, 2025. In the letter dated May 9, 2026, signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The USPF is vital to expanding telecommunications access in underserved and rural communities, and any diversion of its funds directly undermines its mandate to bridge the digital divide, support infrastructure development, and promote inclusive connectivity.”

SERAP said: “These allegations, which include unaccounted expenditures, failure to remit public funds, irregular contract awards, and payments for services not rendered, point to serious breaches of public trust and raise concerns about systemic failures in financial accountability within the USPF.”

According to SERAP: “Any failure to investigate the allegations and recover any missing or diverted public funds would not only deprive Nigerians of essential services but also frustrate national development objectives and efforts to achieve digital inclusion.”

The letter read in part: “The alleged diversion or mismanagement of public funds from the USPF has farreaching consequences for millions of Nigerians particularly those in underserved and rural communities who depend on the USPF to expand and facilitate access to telecommunications infrastructure and universal access to information. “Any diversion or mismanagement of USPF’s resources directly undermines efforts to improve internet connectivity, digital inclusion, and access to essential services.”