SERAP has demanded that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Federal Government make available comprehensive details of the ₦50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), including how the programme is funded, who the beneficiaries are, and what safeguards are in place to prevent corruption and political interference.
The demand was made by the Lagos-based human rights organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated November 7, 2026, and signed by the group’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The group charged the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, to publish details of the NERSI budget, funds released and expended, eligibility criteria, beneficiary verification processes, geographical distribution of recipients, and whether the ₦50,000 payment is a one-off grant or a monthly intervention.
NERSI was made public by the Ministry on October 30, 2026, and is intended to provide ₦50,000 in financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerians.
However, SERAP insisted that critical questions had yet to be answered concerning the programme’s total funding, the number of intended beneficiaries, its duration and geographical coverage, and the methodology used to select beneficiaries from the National Social Register and national identity records.
The group also expressed displeasure over reports that some Nigerians who received notifications of the ₦50,000 assistance were unable to access or withdraw the funds, while others were told they were not eligible despite having been informed otherwise.
According to SERAP, “These reports raise questions about the accuracy of beneficiary verification, the reliability of payment arrangements and the effectiveness of mechanisms for resolving failed or disputed payments.”
In urging the Ministry to investigate the complaints, publish its findings and ensure all eligible beneficiaries receive their assistance, the anti-corruption group further asked the Ministry to disclose agreements with the digital financial service providers administering NERSI payments, including ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint, along with their roles, fees and performance.
The human rights organisation emphasised that the use of the National Social Register and national identity records to identify beneficiaries must be governed by clear data protection safeguards. It also called for anonymised, disaggregated beneficiary data, broken down by state and local government area, to be made public.
SERAP warned that publicly funded social assistance must never be used to reward political loyalty or influence the electoral choices of vulnerable Nigerians, particularly with the 2027 general elections approaching.
It said, “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.
“NERSI is a government programme funded with public resources, not a personal gift or political benefit from any office-holder.”
The group tasked the Minister with publicly inviting the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the programme’s implementation, investigate corruption allegations and ensure funds reach the intended beneficiaries.
The FOI request referenced the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, which flagged over ₦78.8 billion in public funds allegedly diverted or unaccounted for in the administration of social intervention and cash transfer programmes, including ₦33.751 billion in 2023 cash transfers lacking REMITA records and supporting documentation.
“These findings underscore the importance of adequate financial controls, proper record-keeping, independent verification and effective oversight from the outset of the new intervention,” SERAP stated.
The group based its requests on Sections 15(5), 16(2)(b), 13 and 17(3)(d) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as well as Nigeria’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption, which requires integrity, accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
SERAP gave the Ministry seven days to respond, warning that failure to comply would prompt “appropriate legal action to compel the Ministry and other relevant authorities to fulfil their constitutional and statutory obligations.”
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