By Francis Ajuonuma
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Federal Government before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over alleged financial irregularities involving more than ₦78.8 billion allocated to federal cash-transfer and social-protection programmes.
SERAP filed the suit, numbered ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26, last week in Abuja, asking the regional court to compel the government to account for the funds and investigate alleged irregular expenditure involving the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO).
The organisation’s action is based on findings contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, published on August 7, 2026, covering financial activities between January 2023 and December 2024.
According to SERAP, the Auditor-General questioned ₦33.751 billion reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023 because adequate records for verifying payments and reconciling beneficiary data were not provided.
The report also identified ₦36.744 billion in payments allegedly made without prepayment audits and ₦4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures, alongside other questioned payments.
SERAP is asking the ECOWAS Court to order the government to provide comprehensive and verifiable payment, beneficiary, verification and reconciliation records relating to the questioned funds.
It is also seeking an order for an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities, recovery of any funds found to have been improperly spent or diverted, and appropriate action against persons found responsible.
The organisation argues that failure to properly administer funds intended for vulnerable households raises human-rights concerns, particularly regarding social security and access to an adequate standard of living.
“The failure to investigate the ₦78.8 billion cash-transfer scandal, account for the questioned funds and recover any unlawfully spent amounts violates Nigeria’s obligations to protect the human rights of vulnerable households,” SERAP said.
The organisation further wants the court to compel the government to strengthen beneficiary verification, auditing, reconciliation and oversight mechanisms for federal cash-transfer programmes.
SERAP said the questioned funds were intended to benefit more than 3.2 million households across 35 states and argued that alleged deficiencies in their administration could have affected access to financial assistance.
The group said it had earlier written President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities on September 5, urging them to account for the funds, publish audit records, investigate the alleged irregularities and recover any money unlawfully spent or diverted.
It also requested payment and beneficiary records, verification documents and an explanation for missing REMITA records, but said the deadline given to the government elapsed without adequate action.
SERAP is asking the court to ensure that eligible vulnerable households receive the social-protection benefits intended for them and that any established adverse effects on their rights are remedied.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
