Minister David Umahi faces scrutiny as his namesake federal university in Nigeria funnels millions to his private firm

A major transparency shadow has fallen over the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences following revelations that the institution paid ₦150.7 million to a company directly linked to Nigeria’s current Minister of Works, David Umahi.

The payments, which spanned a two-year period ending in late 2025, were made to Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited for the routine supply of diesel and petrol to power the campus and its teaching hospital.

Public records identify Minister Umahi not only as a director of the firm but also as its former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. While the company previously claimed that leadership was transferred to private hands after Umahi assumed the governorship of Ebonyi State, there remains no public clarity on whether his significant shareholding was ever divested.

This creates a complex web of interests, as the university was founded by Umahi during his time as governor before being taken over by the federal government and renamed in his honor.

A breakdown of the multi-million naira transactions

Financial logs show a relentless stream of disbursements to the Minister’s firm. The university and its teaching hospital frequently cleared multiple invoices in a single day to maintain their energy needs.

• Initial Phases: In June 2023, the university processed payments of ₦7.97 million and ₦5.31 million for separate diesel deliveries.
• The 2024 Surge: The scale of procurement escalated throughout 2024, featuring a ₦20 million cluster of payments in December alone for various fuel deliveries.
• The Final Tally: The most recent transaction, dated December 31, 2025, saw ₦13.67 million paid out for a single 10,000-liter consignment of diesel.

Date Period	Total Estimated Volume	Notable Payment
June – Dec 2023	45,000+ Liters	₦8.43 Million (Single Entry)
Jan – Dec 2024	30,000+ Liters	₦9.37 Million (Combined Fuel)
Dec 2025	10,000 Liters	₦13.67 Million (Single Entry)

The consistent nature of these contracts suggests a deeply entrenched procurement relationship between the federal institution and the Minister’s private business interest.

Accountability and conflict of interest

The optics of the arrangement have sparked intense debate regarding Nigerian procurement laws and ethical boundaries. The university was built using Ebonyi State funds under Umahi’s administration before its transition to federal control. The fact that the same individual whose name adorns the gates is also the beneficiary of the institution’s service contracts raises urgent questions about competitive bidding and the prevention of self-enrichment.

As the total expenditure hits the ₦150.7 million mark, the lack of clarity regarding the Minister’s current financial stake in Brass Engineering continues to fuel demands for a more rigorous investigation into how these lucrative contracts were awarded.