The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has urged the Federal Government to publish a full list of beneficiaries and provide a detailed breakdown of the N330bn reportedly disbursed to poor Nigerians through the National Social Safety-net Coordinating Office.
The call followed a recent disclosure by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, who announced that the Federal Government had begun cash transfers funded by an $800m World Bank facility to cushion the effects of economic hardship.
In a statement on Sunday signed by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the group acknowledged the need for social protection amid rising inflation and the removal of fuel subsidy, but faulted the government for failing to provide the clarity and openness expected in managing public resources.
Suraju said the Federal Government’s claim of paying out N330bn raises “more questions than answers”.
He stressed that Nigerians deserve to know the identities of the beneficiaries, the selection process, and a transparent breakdown of the amounts disbursed.
“Public funds, whether sourced locally or from international partners like the World Bank, must be utilised with ultimate openness,” Suraju said.
HEDA warned that without a published list of beneficiaries and verifiable records, such large-scale cash disbursements risk becoming another avenue for corruption, political patronage, and manipulation.
It cited previous controversies surrounding similar schemes under former ministers Sadiya Umar during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and Betta Edu under the current government.
“We are demanding that the Honourable Minister of Finance provide a detailed account of the beneficiaries, their locations, and verifiable disbursement data. Nigerians must be convinced that this scheme truly reaches the poor and vulnerable, not ghost names or politically selected individuals. Accountability and transparency are non-negotiable,” Suraju added.
The group also called for future social protection budgetary allocations to be subjected to open scrutiny by civil society organisations, the media, and the public in line with global best practices.
HEDA reaffirmed its commitment to tracking and monitoring government spending on social protection to ensure such interventions genuinely address the plight of the poorest Nigerians rather than serve as a political tool or a ghost scheme for corruption and abuse of public trust.