SERAP Asks Tinubu To Probe N78.8bn Cash Transfer Scandal
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately investigate alleged financial irregularities involving more than N78.8 billion in Nigeria’s cash transfer and social protection programmes.
The call was contained in a letter dated September 5, 2026, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, following findings published in the 2024 Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
The organisation asked the President 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 funds allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or spent without proper justification.
SERAP said the Auditor-General’s findings raised significant concerns about the administration and utilisation of billions of naira allocated to support poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Among the issues raised was N33.751 billion reportedly transferred to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries across 35 states in 2023 without sufficient evidence showing that the funds were actually received by the intended beneficiaries.
The organisation said the NCTO was also unable to provide REMITA statements needed to authenticate the transactions, verify the beneficiaries and determine whether those listed as recipients were genuine and eligible.
SERAP further demanded explanations over N36.744 billion allegedly paid without prepayment audit, N4.616 billion spent without adequate supporting documents, N350.182 million disbursed for the enrolment of unbanked beneficiaries, N89.511 million spent on store items reportedly not delivered, and N17.422 million advanced to staff for diesel purchases.
It also raised concerns about N280.42 million paid as mobilisation and advance payments to Payment Service Providers without evidence of Advance Payment Guarantees.
Another N393.71 million in unutilised funds was reportedly disbursed to nine states for beneficiary enrolment activities, according to the organisation.
SERAP said questions also needed to be answered over NASSCO’s management of public funds, including N2.24 billion allegedly paid through 158 vouchers without prepayment audit.
Other transactions identified by the organisation include N44.55 million paid for laptops that were neither delivered nor recorded in the store ledger, N19.76 million spent on advertisements without evidence that the advertisements were published, and N141.01 million paid to two contractors for software without clearance from the National Information Technology Development Agency.
SERAP also cited N16.93 million paid to 56 officers for National Social Register data reconciliation without supporting documentation.
It further questioned N14.53 million in staff reimbursements connected to validation and verification activities, saying the payments lacked adequate documentation.
The organisation urged President Tinubu to mandate relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the alleged N76.24 billion in questionable and unaccounted-for expenditure attributed to the NCTO and another N2.55 billion linked to NASSCO.
SERAP also called for the recovery and remittance to the Treasury of any funds found to have been improperly spent or diverted.
It said individuals found responsible should be prosecuted where there is sufficient admissible evidence to establish culpability.
“Every naira identified in the report must be properly accounted for,” SERAP said, insisting that the government should publish details of recovered funds, including the amount recovered, date of recovery, responsible institution and Treasury account into which the money was paid.
The organisation further demanded the publication of comprehensive records relating to beneficiaries, payments, verification procedures, authorisations and reconciliations under the cash transfer programme.
According to SERAP, the disclosure should provide state-by-state figures for beneficiaries, amounts disbursed, payment dates, failed and reversed transactions, funds returned to the Treasury, as well as administrative and transaction costs.
It also called for the government to reconcile payments against the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register.
SERAP said an independent verification process should be carried out to identify duplicate, fictitious, deceased, ineligible or otherwise irregular beneficiaries.
The organisation said the Auditor-General’s findings pointed to “repeated failures of basic financial and administrative controls,” including missing payment and procurement records, payments for goods and services that could not be verified, inadequate beneficiary documentation and questionable procurement practices.
It argued that the allegations were particularly concerning because the affected funds were intended to provide social assistance to some of Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
SERAP gave the government seven days from the receipt or publication of its letter to respond to its demands.
The organisation warned that failure to act could lead it to pursue legal remedies, including proceedings before the ECOWAS Court and the World Bank Accountability Mechanism.
SERAP maintained that Nigerians have a legitimate right to know whether billions of naira appropriated for social protection programmes actually reached the people for whom the funds were intended.
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It also called for an independent mechanism to investigate complaints from individuals listed as beneficiaries who did not receive payments.
The organisation said such a mechanism should also examine cases where individuals’ identities or bank accounts may have been used for cash transfer transactions without their knowledge.
