Nigeria’s cash transfers reach millions amid audit concerns
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The World Bank reported that Nigeria’s National Social Safety Net Programme-Scale Up provided cash transfers to 67.19 million people and 10.44 million households by August 2026.
The programme distributes payments to poor and vulnerable families, with over 7.1 million households receiving all three scheduled payments after biometric verification using their National Identification Numbers or Bank Verification Numbers.
Women made up the majority of those receiving aid, accounting for 39.77 million of the total, and 81 percent of beneficiary households fell within the lowest six income levels. The scale of the program coincides with ongoing questions about its transparency and accountability. The Auditor General for the Federation questioned documentation for 33.751 billion Nigerian Naira in electronic transfers in 2023, noting missing beneficiary details and a lack of reconciliation statements.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also raised concerns about discrepancies in reported household numbers and the overall amount of funds disbursed. The World Bank noted that the programme has met its targets for reaching beneficiaries, disbursing 98.2 percent of its $776.42 million International Development Association facility. However, the report also identified significant implementation risks related to politics, governance, the economy, technical design, and financial management, and noted the program’s modernized social registry was not yet operational as of August 2026.
