The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government to disclose details of the funding, implementation and administration of the ₦50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), including beneficiary selection and safeguards against political interference.
The organisation called on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, to provide information on the programme’s budget, payments, geographical coverage, eligibility criteria and contracts with digital financial service providers.
SERAP’s demand followed the Ministry’s October 30, 2026, announcement of the intervention, which is designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerians.
In a Freedom of Information request dated November 7, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said Nigerians had the right to know how public funds allocated to the programme were being spent and whether assistance was reaching those most in need.
The organisation asked the Minister to disclose budgetary allocations, funds released and expended, beneficiary verification procedures, geographical distribution and whether the ₦50,000 payment was a one-off or monthly intervention.
It also requested information on the total number of beneficiaries selected and verified, broken down by state, local government area and, where available, ward.
SERAP urged the Ministry to invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the programme’s implementation and expenditure, investigate allegations of corruption and ensure that funds reach intended beneficiaries.
The organisation warned against using the intervention to reward political supporters, secure partisan loyalty or influence electoral choices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Publicly funded social assistance must be allocated strictly on the basis of genuine need and objective eligibility criteria,” SERAP said.
It stressed that beneficiaries must not be required or encouraged to attend political rallies, support political parties or candidates, display political materials or demonstrate political loyalty as a condition for receiving assistance.
According to the organisation, NERSI is a government programme funded with public resources and should not be treated as a personal gift or political benefit from any office-holder or party.
SERAP also expressed concern over reports that some Nigerians who received notifications of the ₦50,000 assistance were unable to access or withdraw the funds, while others reportedly received messages indicating they were ineligible.
It called on the Ministry to investigate the complaints, publish its findings and ensure that all eligible beneficiaries receive the assistance.
The organisation further requested details of agreements with digital financial service providers engaged in the programme, including ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
It asked the Ministry to disclose the providers’ roles, fees and performance, as well as the processes for selecting and overseeing them.
SERAP also called for transparency regarding the use of the National Social Register and national identity records to identify beneficiaries, urging the government to establish clear data-protection safeguards.
It said the Ministry should explain how personal information was being used and protected while making anonymised and aggregated beneficiary information available for public scrutiny.
The organisation noted that the Ministry’s October 30 statement described the ₦50,000 assistance as a monthly payment, while a subsequent frequently asked questions document reportedly failed to clarify the frequency and duration of payments.
It said the information gaps made it difficult for Nigerians to assess whether the programme was being implemented fairly and accountably.
SERAP also demanded disclosure of any involvement of political actors in beneficiary selection, payments, access to beneficiary databases and the use of public resources to promote the programme.
The organisation cited concerns raised by the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2024 Annual Report over more than ₦78.8 billion in public funds allegedly diverted or unaccounted for in the administration of social intervention and cash transfer programmes.
It also referenced reported concerns over ₦33.751 billion in cash transfers made in 2023 for which relevant REMITA records and other supporting documents were allegedly not provided for audit.
SERAP said the findings underscored the need for financial controls, proper record-keeping, independent verification and effective oversight of NERSI from its inception.
The organisation cited Sections 13, 15(5), 16(2)(b) and 17(3)(d) of the Nigerian Constitution, arguing that transparency and accountability in social assistance programmes were essential to fulfilling the country’s constitutional obligations on public welfare and the common good.
It also noted Nigeria’s commitments under the United Nations Convention against Corruption to promote integrity, accountability and transparency in the management of public affairs and funds.
SERAP requested that the Minister provide the information and take the proposed measures within seven days of receiving or being notified of the letter.
It warned that failure to comply would prompt it to consider legal action to compel the Ministry and relevant authorities to fulfil their constitutional and statutory obligations and ensure the transparent and accountable implementation of NERSI.
