Claim: The Nigerian Federal Government has publicly shared evidence of ₦25,000 cash transfers made to 71 million individuals within 8.1 million households.
Verdict: False.
Detailed Analysis:
On September 23, multiple Facebook accounts circulated a message asserting that the Federal Government had released verification documents for the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program beneficiaries.
This assertion appears to have originated from a pro-government faction known as the Amalgamated APC Support Group.
The post stated, “BREAKING: Federal Government releases proof of N25,000 cash transfers to 71 million Nigerians in 8.1 million households.”
It is important to recall that on September 16, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced the disbursement of ₦330 billion to 8.1 million households nationwide as part of the National Social Safety Net Programme (NSSNP).
This program, managed by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, aims to alleviate the economic hardships faced by Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations, with financial backing from the World Bank.
Following this announcement, Nigerian human rights lawyer Festus Oguns declared his intention to file a Freedom of Information (FOI) request demanding the government release the list of the 8.1 million households purportedly benefiting from the ₦330 billion CCT within seven days.
Verification Process:
As of September 25, no official list of beneficiary households has been made available to the public, according to investigations by Ripples Nigeria.
Further examination of the lawyer’s social media updates on X (formerly Twitter) reveals no progress or response regarding the FOI request.
Additionally, the official website dedicated to the NSSNP does not provide any beneficiary data related to the cash transfers at the time of this report.
When contacted, the lawyer confirmed, “The government has yet to furnish me with the names of the beneficiaries.” He further stated that if the request remains unfulfilled, legal action will be pursued to obtain the information.
Summary:
Contrary to circulating claims, the Nigerian government has not disclosed any evidence or lists confirming the households that received funds from the ₦330 billion disbursed under the National Social Safety Net Programme.
By: Quadro Yahya
