The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government at the ECOWAS Court of Justice over alleged financial irregularities involving ₦78.8 billion allocated to cash-transfer and social-protection programmes for vulnerable Nigerians.
The organisation is asking the regional court to compel the government to account for the funds, investigate the alleged irregularities, recover any money found to have been improperly spent or diverted, and strengthen financial oversight of the programmes.
The case follows findings in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, which raised concerns about expenditure involving the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office.
According to the audit findings cited by SERAP, approximately ₦33.751 billion reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023 could not be adequately verified because the necessary payment and beneficiary records were unavailable.
The report also questioned ₦36.744 billion in payments reportedly made without prepayment audits and ₦4.616 billion in expenditure that lacked sufficient supporting documents. Other transactions under scrutiny included funds allocated for enrolment, store purchases and diesel advances.
SERAP argued that the reported financial irregularities raised serious concerns about whether public funds intended to support vulnerable households had been properly managed and reached their intended beneficiaries.
The organisation is seeking an order directing the government to conduct an independent investigation into the questioned transactions and take appropriate legal or administrative action against anyone found responsible, in accordance with due process.
It also wants the relevant agencies to provide comprehensive records of payments, beneficiary verification, financial reconciliation and expenditure. The group is further requesting stronger auditing and monitoring systems to prevent similar problems in future cash-transfer programmes.
SERAP maintained that the alleged failures in managing the funds could affect the rights of vulnerable Nigerians to social security and an adequate standard of living, including access to food, clothing and housing.
The organisation said it had previously written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and relevant authorities on September 5, 2026, urging them to publish the necessary financial records, investigate the audit findings and recover any funds established to have been improperly spent.
According to SERAP, the deadline it gave the government to address the concerns passed without adequate action, prompting it to seek judicial intervention.
The group is also asking the court to direct the government to ensure that eligible households receive the financial assistance intended for them and that any established harm resulting from the irregularities is addressed.
SERAP said the lawsuit was filed in the public interest to promote accountability in the management of public resources and protect Nigerians who depend on social-protection programmes.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case. The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial determination.
