Tinubu Asked To Probe N78.8bn Cash Transfer Scandal

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving more than N78.8 billion in Nigeria’s cash transfer and social protection programmes.

SERAP made the demand in a letter dated September 5, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, following findings contained in the 2024 Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

The organisation urged 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 funds allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly expended.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General’s findings raised serious concerns over the management of billions of naira earmarked for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

It specifically demanded an explanation for N33.751 billion reportedly transferred to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries across 35 states in 2023 without sufficient evidence confirming that the money was received by the intended beneficiaries.

SERAP said the NCTO also failed to provide REMITA statements required to authenticate the transactions, verify the beneficiaries and establish whether the recipients were genuine and eligible.

The organisation further called for an account of 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 highlighted N280.42 million paid as mobilisation and advance payments to Payment Service Providers without evidence of Advance Payment Guarantees, as well as N393.71 million in unutilised funds reportedly disbursed to nine states for beneficiary enrolment activities.

SERAP said NASSCO equally faced serious questions over its handling of public funds, including N2.24 billion allegedly paid through 158 vouchers without prepayment audit.

Other NASSCO transactions flagged in the audit, according to SERAP, include N44.55 million paid for laptops that were not delivered or entered into the store ledger, N19.76 million spent on advertisements without evidence of publication and N141.01 million paid to two contractors for software without clearance from the National Information Technology Development Agency.

The organisation also cited payments of N16.93 million to 56 officers for National Social Register data reconciliation without supporting documentation and N14.53 million in staff reimbursements relating to validation and verification activities without adequate documentation.

SERAP urged the President to direct relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the alleged N76.24 billion in questionable and unaccounted-for expenditure at the NCTO and N2.55 billion at NASSCO.

It further demanded that any funds found to have been improperly spent or diverted should be recovered and remitted to the Treasury, while anyone found culpable should be prosecuted where sufficient admissible evidence exists.

“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 also asked the government to publish comprehensive records of beneficiaries, payments, verification processes, authorisations and reconciliations under the cash transfer programme.

It said such disclosure should include state-by-state beneficiary figures, amounts disbursed, payment dates, failed and reversed transactions, funds returned to the Treasury and administrative and transaction costs.

SERAP further urged the government to reconcile the payments against the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register and independently verify beneficiaries to identify duplicate, fictitious, deceased, ineligible or otherwise irregular recipients.

It said the audit findings exposed “repeated failures of basic financial and administrative controls,” including missing payment and procurement records, payments for unverifiable goods and services, inadequate beneficiary documentation and questionable procurement practices.

According to the organisation, these concerns are particularly serious because the funds are meant to provide social assistance to some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

SERAP gave the government seven days from receipt or publication of its letter to act on its demands, warning that it may pursue legal action, including proceedings before the ECOWAS Court and the World Bank Accountability Mechanism, if the government fails to respond.

The group argued that Nigerians have a legitimate interest in knowing whether billions appropriated for social protection actually reached the intended beneficiaries.

It also urged the government to establish an independent mechanism for investigating complaints from persons listed as beneficiaries who did not receive payments, as well as cases where individuals’ identities or bank accounts may have been used without their knowledge.