I have always argued that the Federal Government’s cash-transfer programme for poor and vulnerable Nigerians raises serious questions about transparency, accountability and verification.
This is not a new issue, nor did it begin with the present administration. Similar social-investment and cash-transfer initiatives were introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari after 2015 and subsequently continued and expanded under successive governments. The programmes were designed to provide financial support to vulnerable Nigerians through initiatives such as the National Cash Transfer Programme and other components of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP).
Yet, despite the enormous public funds reportedly committed to these programmes over the years, I have personally never come across anyone who can clearly confirm, with verifiable evidence, that he or she was a direct beneficiary of the Federal Government’s cash transfers.
That observation, by itself, does not prove that the programme is a scam. But it raises a legitimate and important question: Who exactly is receiving these funds, how are beneficiaries identified, and what independent mechanism exists to verify that the money actually reaches the poor families for whom it was intended?
These questions became even more significant following investigations into the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and related social-investment programmes.
For example, a Federal High Court in Lagos in 2024 ordered former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq to account for reported payments of ₦729 billion to 24.3 million vulnerable Nigerians. The court ordered information to be provided concerning the beneficiaries, the states covered, payments made per state, how beneficiaries were selected and the mechanisms used to make the payments.
Farouq subsequently became the subject of EFCC investigations and prosecution over separate allegations involving public funds. In 2026, an FCT High Court issued an arrest warrant after she failed to appear for arraignment in a case involving allegations of criminal conspiracy, abuse of office and diversion of approximately $1.3 million and ₦746.6 million. The EFCC alleges that part of the money was connected to payments for validating beneficiaries under the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office programme. These are allegations before the court, not convictions.
The concerns did not stop there.
Halima Shehu, former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), was also arrested and investigated by the EFCC over alleged financial misconduct involving billions of naira.
Then there was Betta Edu, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, whose suspension in January 2024 followed controversy surrounding an instruction to transfer ₦585 million meant for vulnerable groups into a private account. The matter subsequently became part of the wider investigation into the ministry and its intervention programmes.
The investigations also extended to other senior officials. Bashir Nura Alkali, a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, is facing prosecution alongside Farouq and another defendant over allegations including criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards and diversion of public funds.
But perhaps one of the most revealing aspects of this entire controversy is that concerns about leakages were raised even during the Buhari administration.
In 2019, Maryam Uwais, Buhari’s Special Adviser on Social Investment Programmes, publicly acknowledged serious problems within the implementation of the N-SIP. She said some state and local government officials were allegedly diverting, exploiting and extorting money intended for beneficiaries. She cited cases involving deductions from beneficiaries, the submission of names of deceased or unregistered persons and eligible beneficiaries being short-changed or not paid.
The ICPC also disclosed that it had arrested two officials in Kogi State over an alleged ₦68.09 million fraud connected to the Federal Government’s school-feeding programme.
Therefore, the question is not whether government should support poor families. It absolutely should.
The real issue is whether Nigerians can confidently trace the money from government allocation to the actual people it was intended to help.
If billions of naira are being allocated for social protection, the government should be able to provide transparent beneficiary data, credible payment records, independent audits and an effective verification system through which citizens can establish that the funds reached genuine beneficiaries.
Until there is sufficient transparency and independently verifiable evidence, public scepticism will continue.
So, if you have personally received a Federal Government cash transfer, say so. How much did you receive, when did you receive it, and through what channel?
Let the beneficiaries speak for themselves.
And let the government provide the records.
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