SERAP Sues Nigerian Government Over N78.8bn Fund Mismanagement

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has initiated legal action against the Federal Government at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, alleging the misappropriation and failure to account for N78.8 billion allocated to cash-transfer and social-protection programs. The lawsuit, marked ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26, was filed last week and cites irregular expenditures documented in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, published on August 7, 2026.

The allegations involve the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office, and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office, covering periods from January 2023 to December 31, 2024. SERAP seeks a declaration that the government's failure to account for these funds violates Nigeria's international human rights obligations.

The organization demands a comprehensive account of the funds, an investigation into the alleged irregularities, and measures to strengthen financial oversight of social-protection programs. SERAP emphasizes that the mismanagement of these funds could adversely affect over 3.2 million households across 35 states.