The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) is seeking an order from the ECOWAS Court compelling the Federal Government to account for more than ₦78.8 billion in questioned expenditure involving cash-transfer and social protection programmes.
The organisation’s lawsuit raises concerns about the management of public funds intended to support vulnerable Nigerians.
The case, numbered ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26, is based on financial irregularities identified in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, published on August 7, 2026.
The audit findings cited by SERAP cover transactions between January 2023 and December 2024 involving federal agencies responsible for administering social protection programmes.
These include the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office.
SERAP Questions Billions in Cash Transfers
According to the organisation, one major concern involves approximately ₦33.751 billion reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023.
SERAP says the audit findings identified gaps in the records required to verify the payments and reconcile them with beneficiary information.
Other questioned transactions include approximately ₦36.744 billion in payments reportedly made without the required prepayment audits and ₦4.616 billion in expenditure lacking adequate supporting documentation.
The organisation is asking the court to direct the government to provide verifiable payment records, investigate the irregularities and recover any funds established to have been improperly spent.
Court Asked to Strengthen Accountability
SERAP argues that inadequate financial oversight could undermine the rights of vulnerable households who depend on government support.
It is also seeking stronger safeguards covering beneficiary verification, payment authorisation, auditing and the monitoring of social protection programmes.
However, the organisation acknowledges that audit queries do not automatically establish that the entire ₦78.8 billion was stolen or that any particular official committed a crime.
The lawsuit seeks to determine whether the government adequately accounted for the questioned expenditure and took appropriate corrective measures.
No hearing date has been confirmed for the case.
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