The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation into more than ₦78.8 billion in public funds it says were allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent under Nigeria’s cash-transfer and social protection programmes.
SERAP based its demand on findings contained in the 2024 Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on August 7, 2026.
In a letter dated September 5 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation asked Tinubu to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to account for the funds and make relevant records public.
A major concern raised by SERAP is the ₦33.751 billion reportedly transferred to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries across 35 states in 2023.
The organisation said the Auditor-General found that the NCTO failed to provide REMITA records and other evidence needed to confirm that the payments reached genuine and eligible beneficiaries.
SERAP also cited ₦36.74 billion in payments allegedly made by the NCTO in December 2023 without prepayment or internal audit checks, ₦4.616 billion in expenditures without adequate supporting documents, ₦350.18 million allocated for enrolment of unbanked beneficiaries and ₦89.51 million spent on store items that were reportedly not delivered or entered in the store ledger.
It further cited ₦17.42 million in cash advances to staff for diesel purchases and ₦393.71 million in unutilised funds reportedly disbursed to nine states for beneficiary enrolment activities.
At NASSCO, SERAP highlighted ₦2.24 billion paid through 158 vouchers without prepayment audit, as well as payments for undelivered laptops, advertisements without evidence of publication and software contracts allegedly made without the required NITDA clearance.
SERAP said the findings raised serious questions about the transparency and effectiveness of Nigeria’s social protection system, particularly because the funds are intended to support poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
It called on the government to reconcile cash-transfer payments with the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register and independently verify beneficiaries to identify any duplicate, fictitious, deceased or otherwise ineligible recipients.
The organisation also asked the government to publish state-by-state beneficiary numbers, amounts disbursed, payment dates, failed and reversed transactions, funds returned to the Treasury and administrative and transaction costs.
SERAP said beneficiary information should be published with appropriate safeguards for personal data and the privacy of vulnerable people.
It further urged the President to direct relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the reported irregularities and recover any public funds found to have been improperly spent or diverted.
“Anyone suspected to be responsible should be sanctioned and prosecuted as appropriate if sufficient admissible evidence is established, irrespective of status, position or institutional affiliation,” SERAP said.
The organisation gave the government seven days to act, warning that it would consider legal action, including proceedings before the ECOWAS Court and the World Bank Accountability Mechanism, if its demands were not addressed.
SERAP said accountability was particularly important because the funds under scrutiny form part of programmes designed to provide assistance to millions of Nigerians living in poverty.
