(DDM) – A newly incorporated Nigerian company, Albarka Mulan Catering Services Limited, has drawn attention after securing federal contracts worth ₦127.7 million within just two months of registration.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that official Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) records indicate the company was registered on January 20, 2023.
Barely seven weeks later, on March 9, 2023, Albarka Mulan received a payment of ₦64.8 million from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for “Arc-P stakeholders training hiring of hall for twenty-two days.”
Just 12 days later, on March 21, 2023, the company was paid another ₦62.9 million for “Arc-P feeding of participants in Sokoto State.”
The rapid awarding of contracts to a firm barely two months old has raised serious questions about adherence to federal procurement regulations.
Lawyer Awosusi Kehinde described the development as a “red flag” and a potential “financial sham.”
He noted that winning a federal contract requires valid tax clearance certificates, which are typically based on financial returns over a full year.
A company only a few months old would be unable to meet these requirements.
Kehinde further explained that other compliance documents, such as pensions certificates and NSITF registration, are mandatory for federal procurement eligibility.
The absence of these documents calls into question whether the law was properly followed in the award of these contracts.
This incident is not isolated. SaharaReporters had earlier reported a similar case involving Swanty 16 Kitchen Enterprise, a company registered on March 15, 2023.
Within seven months of incorporation, the company was awarded contracts worth ₦215 million by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) for catering services at the Kontagora training camp in Niger State.
Payments to Swanty 16 Kitchen included ₦36.74 million for June 2023, ₦54.362 million for July 2023, ₦52.8 million for August 2023, and ₦59.2 million for October 2023, with an additional ₦11.9 million paid later that month.
Observers say these trends highlight loopholes in Nigeria’s procurement processes and underscore the urgent need for stricter monitoring and enforcement to prevent misuse of public funds.
The cases of Albarka Mulan Catering Services and Swanty 16 Kitchen Enterprise have intensified calls from legal experts, civil society groups, and concerned citizens for transparency and accountability in federal contract awards.
The matter raises broader concerns about how newly registered companies are able to access multi-million-naira contracts without fulfilling all statutory requirements.
Analysts warn that if such practices are left unchecked, they could erode public trust in government procurement and encourage corruption, undermining efforts to ensure fairness and competitiveness in the awarding of federal contracts.
These developments have prompted calls for a full investigation by relevant oversight agencies, including the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Audit Service, to ascertain whether procurement laws were bypassed or violated.
The federal government has yet to comment on the matter, leaving Nigerians and stakeholders awaiting clarification on how millions of naira were awarded to companies barely months old.
The situation underscores the importance of vigilance and enforcement to ensure that public resources are allocated to credible firms capable of delivering value and adhering to legal requirements.
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