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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to order an urgent investigation into more than N78.8 billion in public funds allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent under the Federal Government’s social protection programmes.
The organisation also demanded full disclosure of records relating to N33.751 billion in cash transfers to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries in 35 states, including names of beneficiaries, payment records, verification, authorisations and reconciliation documents.
SERAP made the demands in a letter dated September 5, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, following findings in the 2024 Annual Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on August 7, 2026.
It urged the President to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to account for the funds and make relevant records public.
According to SERAP, the audit findings covered various periods between January 2023 and December 31, 2024.
The organisation specifically asked the NCTO to explain why it failed to provide REMITA statements required by the Auditor-General to authenticate the N33.751 billion cash transfers.
SERAP said the Auditor-General found no evidence confirming that the intended beneficiaries actually received the payments, raising questions about whether the beneficiaries were genuine and eligible.
It called for the transfers to be reconciled with the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register and for beneficiaries to be independently verified to identify possible duplicate, fictitious, deceased or otherwise ineligible recipients.
SERAP also demanded explanations over N36.744 billion allegedly paid without prepayment audit, N4.616 billion spent without adequate supporting documents, N350.182 million in enrolment payments, N89.511 million in store purchases and N17.422 million in diesel advances.
It called on anti-corruption agencies to investigate N76.24 billion in questionable or unaccounted-for expenditure at NCTO and another N2.55 billion at NASSCO.
“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 said any money found to have been improperly spent, diverted or lost should be recovered and remitted to the Treasury.
It also asked the ministry to publish details of recoveries, including the amounts recovered, dates, responsible institutions and Treasury accounts into which the money was paid.
Among the issues raised, SERAP said the Auditor-General found N4.616 billion in expenditure without adequate supporting documentation, expressing concern that the funds “may have been diverted.”
It also said the NCTO paid N36.74 billion in December 2023 without prepayment or internal audit checks, contrary to financial regulations.
The audit further identified N89.51 million allegedly paid for store items that were neither delivered nor entered in the store ledger, which SERAP said had not been updated since 2020.
Another N350.18 million was reportedly disbursed to state coordinators for enrolment of unbanked beneficiaries without adequate beneficiary lists, acknowledgements or supporting documentation.
SERAP said N17.42 million was spent through staff cash advances for diesel purchases, while N280.42 million was paid to Payment Service Providers as mobilisation and advance payments without Advance Payment Guarantees.
Similar concerns were raised over NASSCO. SERAP said NASSCO paid N2.24 billion through 158 vouchers without prepayment audit, N44.55 million for laptops allegedly not delivered or entered in the store ledger, and N19.76 million for advertisements without evidence that the publications were carried out.
It also cited N141.01 million paid to two contractors for software without NITDA clearance, N27.56 million awarded to an allegedly unqualified contractor for design and printing, and N44 million in insurance premiums without evidence of payment.
SERAP said the findings showed repeated weaknesses in financial and administrative controls, including missing payment and procurement records, poor beneficiary documentation, questionable procurement and payments for goods and services that could not be verified.
“The findings raise fundamental questions about the integrity, transparency and effectiveness of Nigeria’s social protection system,” it said.
The organisation gave the government seven days to act on its demands, warning that it could consider legal action, including proceedings before the ECOWAS Court and the World Bank Accountability Mechanism’s Inspection Panel.
SERAP maintained that Nigerians were entitled to know the number of beneficiaries in each state, amounts disbursed, dates of payment, failed and reversed transactions, funds returned to the Treasury and administrative costs associated with the cash-transfer programme.
It also demanded an independent complaints mechanism for listed beneficiaries who did not receive payments and for persons whose identities or bank accounts may have been used without their knowledge.
SERAP said greater transparency was imperative because the funds were intended to provide assistance to millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
