By: Fatou Krubally
A parliamentary committee Monday raised questions for officials of the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA).
Members of the National Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) questioned officials of NAQAA over a delayed D195,000 software project and the agency’s investment of surplus public funds without what lawmakers said was clear approval from the Ministry of Finance.
NAQAA officials appeared before FPAC to present the institution’s 2023 and 2024 audited financial statements.
Lawmakers raised concerns over payments made to a software vendor despite delays in the completion and full operationalization of the system.
Committee members also questioned annual payments estimated at over D120,000 for hosting and maintenance of the software, which they said had not delivered full value for money during the period of delay.
NAQAA officials acknowledged that the project experienced significant delays but said the system is now fully operational and is being used by universities and tertiary institutions to submit education data online.
They said the project, which began around 2020, was affected by staff turnover, weak handover processes and technical challenges identified during testing phases.
“You know software issues. When departments started using it, there were complaints and technical issues, so we had to go back and forth with the vendor,” a NAQAA official told the committee.
FPAC members maintained that continued payments during the period of non-performance exposed the authority to avoidable financial losses.
“What we are saying is that you are paying for something that was not making any use for you,” a lawmaker said during the hearing.
The committee also questioned NAQAA’s investment of surplus funds in treasury bills and fixed deposits, saying such transactions required prior approval from the Ministry of Finance under the Public Finance Act.
NAQAA officials defended the investments, saying they were approved by the governing council and aimed at generating additional income for the authority.
They said the funds involved were internally generated revenues from accreditation fees, registration charges and facility rentals.
The authority further said part of the funds had been set aside for a proposed assessment centre after efforts to secure external financing were unsuccessful.
FPAC members urged NAQAA to strengthen governance systems, improve internal audit reporting and ensure that future contracts include clear timelines and penalties for non-performance.
NAQAA officials acknowledged shortcomings in the management of the software project, describing it as a learning experience for future operations.