The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation into more than ₦78.8 billion in public funds allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent under Nigeria’s social protection programmes.
SERAP made the demand in a letter dated Sept. 5 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, citing findings in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report.
The organisation wants Tinubu to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office to account for the funds and publish relevant records.
The Auditor-General’s report found that the National Cash Transfer Office made ₦33.751 billion in payments to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries across 35 states in 2023, but auditors could not establish that the funds reached genuine beneficiaries.
SERAP said the NCTO also failed to provide REMITA records needed to authenticate the payments and verify the identities and eligibility of beneficiaries.
It called for the publication of the full audit trail of the ₦33.751 billion transfers, including beneficiary records, payment details, verification, authorisations and reconciliation.
SERAP also wants the government to explain ₦36.744 billion in payments allegedly made without prepayment audits, ₦4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures, ₦350.182 million in enrolment payments, ₦89.511 million in store purchases and ₦17.422 million in diesel advances.
The organisation further called for an investigation into ₦76.24 billion in questionable and unaccounted-for expenditures attributed to the NCTO and ₦2.55 billion linked to NASSCO.
It urged relevant anti-corruption agencies to recover and remit to the Treasury any funds found to have been improperly spent or diverted.
SERAP also called for a comprehensive register of cash-transfer beneficiaries, with appropriate safeguards for personal data, and urged the government to reconcile payments with the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register.
The organisation said anyone found responsible should be sanctioned or prosecuted where sufficient admissible evidence exists, regardless of status or position.
SERAP gave the government seven days to act, warning that it may pursue legal action, including proceedings before the ECOWAS Court and the World Bank Accountability Mechanism, if its demands are not addressed.
The organisation said the allegations raise serious concerns about transparency and financial controls in programmes designed to support poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
The Auditor-General’s findings have also highlighted broader weaknesses at the NCTO, including missing payment and procurement records, payments for goods and services that could not be verified and failures to conduct required financial checks.
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