Auditor-General Raises Fresh Concerns Over N33.7bn Cash Transfers

The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation has raised fresh concerns over N33.7bn in electronic cash transfers made to 3.29 million households under the National Cash Transfer Programme in 2023.

The audit office said there was insufficient evidence to establish that the funds reached genuine beneficiaries.

The finding was contained in the OAuGF’s 2024 annual report on non-compliance and internal control weaknesses in ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The report, submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly by the Auditor-General for the Federation on July 17, 2026, reviewed transactions at the National Cash Transfer Office in Abuja for the 2023 financial year.

According to the report, N33.751bn was electronically transferred to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries listed on the National Social Register and enrolled on the National Beneficiary Register across 35 states.

However, the auditors said they were unable to authenticate the payments because key beneficiary records were not provided.

The audit report stated that payment vouchers for the transfers did not contain the full details of the beneficiaries.

The auditors also said the National Cash Transfer Office failed to provide a Remita statement showing the beneficiaries who received the funds against those listed on the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register.

The auditors said the absence of the statement “hindered the authentication of the payments” and made it difficult to ascertain whether the recipients were genuine beneficiaries.

The report further alleged that accounts staff of the National Cash Transfer Office obstructed efforts by the auditors to obtain the Remita records.

“All efforts to obtain access to the REMITA statement were obstructed and denied by NCTO accounts staff, thereby frustrating the audit process,” the report stated.

The auditors attributed the anomalies to weaknesses in the internal control system of the cash transfer office.

They warned that the lapses created risks of loss of public funds and payments to ineligible or fictitious persons.

Auditors Demand Accountability For N33.7bn

The auditors said the management of the National Cash Transfer Office failed to respond to the query, adding that the findings would remain valid until the recommendations were implemented.

They recommended that the manager in charge of the national programme be directed to account for the N33.7bn before the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.

The official was also asked to provide evidence that the funds were transferred to the intended beneficiaries.

The auditors recommended that the money be recovered and paid into the national treasury if it could not be accounted for.

They also demanded evidence confirming receipt of the funds by the beneficiaries.

The audit office warned that failure to provide the required evidence should attract sanctions for irregular payments under paragraph 3106 of the Financial Regulations 2009.

The auditors said the findings contravened provisions of the Financial Regulations governing government payments.

They cited paragraph 613, which requires paying officers to establish that the person receiving a payment is authorised to do so and, where necessary, provide proof of identity.

They also cited paragraph 603(i), which requires payment vouchers to contain full details of the services involved and be supported by relevant documents to enable the payments to be verified.