By Obinna Uballa
Doubts are trailing the federal government’s announcement that it has paid N330 billion in cash transfers to poor and vulnerable Nigerians, with many citizens taking to social media to dismiss the claim as doubtful and lacking transparency.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, told reporters in Abuja on Wednesday that the funds were disbursed through the National Social Safety-net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), with 8.5 million households already receiving at least one tranche of N25,000 from an $800 million World Bank facility.
He said the payments were linked to beneficiaries’ National Identification Numbers and transferred directly to their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
According to him, the programme targets 15 million households out of about 20 million on the National Social Register, representing nearly 75 million Nigerians. He added that remaining households would be paid before the end of the year.
But the announcement has triggered a wave of skepticism online, with Nigerians questioning the authenticity of the payments and demanding proof. “Post the account that received the money,” one X user, @sulaimonofweb3, wrote.
Another, @PEACEJDG, asked: “How many are we in this country that this money did not get to anyone close to me. You guys are fraud, absolute fraud. At least 1m should go around.”
Others dismissed the scheme as a cover for corruption. “Never believe these people. This is a corrupt scheme,” @ChukwumaEj88455 said. “No one can prove that these funds got to real people. No one. And certainly not Edun, whose office is being used to drain these funds away,” added @greatvicman.
The frustration also reflected Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship. “How and when? I have been unemployed for more than a year now after my NYSC, my bank accounts hold no money, how come I no receive… I no even know anybody wey receive,” wrote @MrChang9. Another user, @woley23, dismissed the announcement outright: “It’s a lie. A normal APC lie in a weak country like what they want.”
The controversy over cash transfers is not new. Successive administrations have faced allegations of corruption in similar schemes. From Sadiya Farouk, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, to her successor Betta Edu, questions have persisted over the credibility of social investment programmes and whether funds actually reach the poor.
National Coordinator of NASSCO, Funmi Olotu, defended the process, saying the staggered payments were deliberate to ensure that only those with verified NIN-linked accounts received the transfers. “Mr. President said no more traditional mode of payment of cash to people. He said we must pay directly to their bank accounts,” she explained.
Still, for many Nigerians struggling with rising inflation and joblessness, the government’s claim remains unconvincing. As one user, @d9ice6, put it: “Of course, 10 million people already pulled out of poverty, just that our middle class vanished.”
