SERAP TAKES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ECOWAS COURT OVER ALLEGED ₦78.8 Billion CASH-TRANSFER IRREGULARITIES

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has taken the Federal Government to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over alleged financial irregularities involving more than ₦78.8 billion allocated to cash-transfer and social-protection programmes. The lawsuit, reported by Nigerian news outlets on October 25 and 26, 2026, concerns funds intended to support vulnerable households through government assistance programmes, SERAP is challenging what it describes as alleged diversion, irregular expenditure and failure to account for public money involving relevant government agencies, the case places renewed attention on the management of social-protection funds and the need for transparent financial records. According to reports on the case, SERAP’s action draws on findings attributed to the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 annual report, the organisation alleges that inadequate documentation and other financial irregularities affected payments made through cash-transfer and social-protection programmes. SERAP is asking the court to require the relevant authorities to provide a comprehensive account of the questioned funds, including records relating to payments, beneficiaries, verification and reconciliation, it is also seeking an independent investigation and appropriate action if any public funds are established to have been improperly spent or diverted. Cash-transfer programmes are intended to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households, particularly those struggling with food, housing and other essential expenses. Questions about the administration of these programmes can therefore affect public confidence in government assistance initiatives, transparent records can help establish whether beneficiaries received the intended support and whether public funds were used for their approved purposes, the allegations remain subject to legal examination. The amount questioned in an audit or lawsuit should not automatically be described as money proven to have been stolen, the court will have to consider the case and the applicable legal principles before reaching any conclusions. As of the reports reviewed, no hearing date had been fixed, the proceedings could become an important test of accountability in the administration of social-protection programmes.