# Nigeria social protection cash transfer programs

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/nigeria-social-protection-cash-transfer-programs
> Updated: 2026-09-04T23:20:41.000Z. Sources: 21. Developments: 2.

The Nigerian government has implemented large-scale cash transfer initiatives, such as the $1 billion Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project (HOPE-SP), to support vulnerable citizens following economic shocks. While Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, reported that over N600 billion has been disbursed to approximately 10 million households, significant accountability concerns have emerged.

The Auditor-General for the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report flagged N33.75 billion in cash transfers intended for 3.29 million households in 2023 that could not be verified. Auditors noted that the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) obstructed the process by denying access to Remita statements necessary to reconcile disbursements with national registers. Beyond the unverified transfers, the report highlighted N36.744 billion in payments made without mandatory prepayment audits and N4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures.

In response to these findings, human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and recover diverted funds. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has also urged President Bola Tinubu to order a full probe, claiming discrepancies involve over ₦78.8 billion across various humanitarian agencies. Additionally, presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has vowed to launch an independent investigation, criticizing the administration for failing to account for funds meant to cushion economic hardship.

## Claims

- Atiku Abubakar vowed to form an independent expert team to trace the missing N33.75 billion in cash transfers. (disputed by 5 sources)
- The Auditor-General reported that N33.751 billion in electronic transfers to 3,295,207 households in 2023 could not be verified. (disputed by 4 sources)
- National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) staff allegedly obstructed auditors from accessing Remita statements needed for verification. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- SERAP called for a probe into over ₦78.8 billion in funds allegedly diverted or irregularly spent across humanitarian agencies. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Lawyer Femi Falana demanded that the EFCC investigate the alleged N33.75 billion gap and recover diverted funds. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The audit identified N36.744 billion in payments made in December 2023 without mandatory prepayment audits. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-04: Nigeria Auditor-General flags N33.75bn unverified cash transfers

Nigeria's Auditor-General has flagged N33.75 billion in unverified cash transfers to 3.29 million households, prompting calls for investigations by legal experts and political leaders.

17 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nigeria-auditor-general-flags-n3375bn-in-unverified-cash-transfers

### 2026-08-26: Nigeria disburses N600bn in cash transfers to 10m households

Nigeria has disbursed over N600 billion in cash transfers to roughly 10 million households over three years to mitigate economic hardship and support vulnerable populations.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nigeria-disburses-n600-billion-in-cash-transfers-to-10-million-households

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Cite as: Nigeria social protection cash transfer programs. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/nigeria-social-protection-cash-transfer-programs