The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Federal Government seven days to disclose funding, beneficiary selection and payment records for its ₦50,000 relief programme, raising fresh questions about the duration and accountability of the intervention.
In a Freedom of Information request dated November 7, 2026, and made public on Sunday, SERAP asked the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, to explain how funds allocated to the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) are being administered.
The organisation wants details of budgetary allocations, expenditure, beneficiary verification, payment arrangements and safeguards against political interference ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The request comes after the ministry’s October 30 announcement that eligible vulnerable Nigerians would receive ₦50,000 monthly.
However, a subsequent government clarification published on November 6 describes the assistance as a ₦50,000 grant without specifying how many months beneficiaries will receive payments.
That distinction is one of the questions SERAP wants the government to resolve.
What the Government Says About the ₦50,000 Programme
The Federal Government introduced NERSI on October 30 as an intervention intended to ease the financial pressure facing vulnerable households.
According to the ministry, eligible beneficiaries will receive assistance through authorised digital financial service providers.
Its November 6 clarification states that selection is based on poverty and vulnerability criteria, using the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
The ministry says the programme covers Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and that individuals cannot pay agents, register independently or influence the selection process.
It also states that beneficiaries should receive the full ₦50,000 without deductions and that the assistance is a grant, not a loan.
Selected beneficiaries are expected to receive notifications from authorised payment providers and give consent before accessing the money.
The providers identified by the ministry include ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
These are the government’s published programme arrangements. They do not, by themselves, independently establish how many beneficiaries have received payments or the total amount disbursed.
SERAP Demands Funding and Beneficiary Records
SERAP wants the ministry to disclose the total budget for NERSI, how much has been released and how much has been spent.
It is also seeking anonymised records showing the number of beneficiaries selected, verified and paid across states and local government areas.
The organisation argues that such disclosures would allow Nigerians to assess whether public resources are reaching the programme’s intended beneficiaries.
Beyond financial records, SERAP wants clarification of the methodology used to identify eligible households and the safeguards protecting their personal information.
The organisation is also asking for details of agreements with payment providers, including their responsibilities, fees and performance-monitoring arrangements.
These requests seek information about implementation. They do not establish that programme funds have been diverted or misused.
Monthly Payments or One-Off Grant?
An important issue concerns how frequently beneficiaries are expected to receive the ₦50,000 assistance.
The ministry’s October 30 announcement describes the programme as providing monthly financial support.
However, the November 6 FAQ states that each selected beneficiary will receive ₦50,000 without clearly identifying the duration of the intervention.
The two documents therefore leave an implementation question requiring clarification.
Will eligible Nigerians receive repeated monthly payments, and if so, for how long?
The answer has implications for the programme’s total cost, beneficiary expectations and the financial records needed to assess its performance.
SERAP has specifically requested clarification on whether the assistance is intended as a one-off payment or a recurring monthly intervention.
Payment Complaints and Political Safeguards
SERAP also raised concerns about reports that some Nigerians who received payment notifications could not access their funds, while others reportedly encountered messages indicating that they were ineligible.
The organisation wants the ministry to investigate those complaints, explain how disputed payments are resolved and publish relevant findings.
IDNN has not independently verified the scale or causes of the reported payment difficulties.
The government, meanwhile, has warned beneficiaries against paying intermediaries or disclosing sensitive banking information.
SERAP is additionally seeking safeguards against possible political interference.
It wants assurances that beneficiaries will be selected according to objective eligibility criteria rather than party affiliation or support for political candidates.
The organisation has requested information concerning any documented involvement of political actors in beneficiary selection or programme administration.
No evidence examined for this report establishes that NERSI payments have been used to influence electoral choices.
SERAP’s intervention is a demand for transparency and safeguards, not proof that electoral manipulation has occurred.
Seven-Day Request and Possible Legal Action
SERAP’s request, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, asks the ministry to provide the requested information within seven days of receipt or publication of the letter.
The precise date of confirmed receipt has not been independently established.
SERAP says it may consider legal action if the information is not provided within its requested period.
The organisation also referred to earlier audit concerns involving federal social intervention programmes, arguing that financial controls and independent oversight should be established from the outset of NERSI.
Those historical concerns do not constitute findings of wrongdoing in the new programme.
The ministry has already published information explaining eligibility, payment channels and fraud-prevention measures.
However, the documents examined for this report do not provide a complete public account of NERSI’s total budget, actual disbursements, number of beneficiaries paid or intended payment duration.
No response specifically addressing SERAP’s latest Freedom of Information request had been independently confirmed by IDNN at the time of drafting.
The outstanding accountability question is whether the government will publish the financial and implementation records needed to establish how the relief programme is operating in practice.