Tinubu Urged to Probe ₦78.8bn Cash Transfer Scandal Uncovered by Auditor-General
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently probe the alleged diversion and irregular spending of ₦78.8 billion in public safety net funds. The civil society group called on the presidency to compel the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to fully account for the missing billions.
The financial allegations stem from the 2024 Annual Report published by the Auditor-General of the Federation on August 7, 2026. The extensive audit uncovered massive financial discrepancies spanning social protection operations between January 2023 and December 2024.
Demand for Accountability
In a petition dated September 5, 2026, signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization raised alarms over ₦33.751 billion in 2023 cash transfers. The NCTO reportedly distributed these funds to over 3.2 million households across 35 states without providing any REMITA statements to authenticate the transactions.
“The failure to provide basic payment records and beneficiary information capable of establishing that public funds reached genuine beneficiaries undermines public confidence,” SERAP stated.
The organization warned that this administrative failure creates a “serious risk that funds intended for some of Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens may have been lost, misapplied, or paid to persons who were not entitled to receive them.”
Procurement and Internal Control Gaps
The petition further detailed a breakdown of severe procurement and internal control failures at the NCTO. This includes ₦36.74 billion paid out in December 2023 completely bypassing mandatory prepayment audits, alongside ₦4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures. Furthermore, the agency reportedly failed to account for ₦350.18 million meant for unbanked enrolments and ₦89.51 million spent on completely undelivered store items.
Parallel corruption allegations were leveled against NASSCO involving ₦2.55 billion in questionable expenditures. According to the audit, NASSCO processed ₦2.24 billion through 158 vouchers without internal audit checks. The agency also allegedly paid ₦44.55 million for undelivered laptops, ₦19.76 million for unverified advertisements, and millions in undocumented staff reimbursements.
SERAP insisted that the Federal Government must identify, sanction, and prosecute every individual involved in the systemic looting of welfare funds.
“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,” the group declared.
Public Accountability Ultimatum
The anti-corruption watchdog gave the presidency a strict seven-day ultimatum to respond to the demands and initiate an independent investigation. If the administration fails to comply, SERAP vowed to launch legal actions before the ECOWAS Court and the World Bank Accountability Mechanism to compel compliance in the public interest.
Ultimately, the multi-billion naira scandal threatens to completely derail the integrity of Nigeria’s poverty alleviation initiatives.
SERAP maintained that the public has a legitimate right to transparent state-by-state beneficiary data to ensure that public wealth serves the constitutional purpose of protecting ordinary citizens.
