Nigeria: ActionaAid Demands Transparency Over Govt's N50,000 Cash Support, Questions Funding, Beneficiary Selection

What the report says

ActionAid Nigeria has called on the federal government to make public detailed information about its proposed N50,000 cash support for poor and vulnerable households, including where the money will come from, who will qualify, and how payments will be made. The appeal, reported by This Day and distributed by AllAfrica, was made in Abuja and focused on the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, or NERSI.

The group said the programme description appears inconsistent: the humanitarian affairs minister reportedly presented it as a monthly payment, while the programme’s website reportedly describes it as a one-off grant. ActionAid’s country director, Andrew Mamedu, said the public needs a clear budget, the amount already committed or released, and details on any administrative or transaction costs. The organisation also questioned whether the support would be funded through the budget, extra appropriations, savings from reforms, development financing, or another source.

ActionAid further raised concerns about how beneficiaries would be chosen, including the use of the National Social Register and national identity records. It said the government should explain how recently the register was updated and how newly poor households would be included. The group urged priority for women-headed households, persons with disabilities, displaced people, older people and rural communities.

More broadly, ActionAid warned against making access dependent only on IDs, phones or bank accounts, and asked for grievance mechanisms, independent monitoring and regular public reporting. It said social protection should be treated as a government duty and argued that transparent design and oversight will be essential if the cash support is to reach the intended households fairly and without political influence.