The National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) has declined to release the names and details of households allegedly benefitting from the Federal Government’s N330 billion National Social Safety Net Programme (NSSNP), citing data privacy concerns and data protection laws. The decision has sparked renewed debate over transparency in one of Nigeria’s largest social welfare programmes.
Nigeriastartupact.ng earlier reported that on September 16, 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced that a total of N330 billion had been disbursed to 8.1 million households under the programme. The initiative, according to the government, is designed to cushion the harsh effects of economic reforms on the country’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
Following the announcement, human rights lawyer Festus Ogun submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on September 22, 2025, demanding full disclosure of beneficiaries. His request sought details including names, disbursement dates, amounts received, and the states of residence of those listed as beneficiaries.
Ogun confirmed NASSCO’s response, stating, “NASSCO responded to my FOI request, says due to data privacy concerns and data protection laws, we are unable to share beneficiaries data. The battle for our 330 Billion Naira has just begun!”
In its reply, NASSCO also clarified its role and that of related agencies under the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA). The statement explained, “Both the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) and the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) are projects under the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA). NASSCO is not a disbursing body but rather the custodian of the National Social Register. The National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) is responsible for disbursement and is the custodian of the Beneficiary Register for cash transfer programs. For queries regarding cash transfers, we kindly direct you to NSIPA with NCTO in copy. However, due to data privacy concerns and data protection laws, we are unable to share beneficiaries’ data. NCTO may facilitate communication with beneficiaries for clarification purposes.”
Reacting further, Ogun criticized the government’s position, arguing that transparency should not be sacrificed under the guise of privacy. “Those who benefited from public money cannot be heard complaining of ‘privacy’ of their basic data,” he said.
In his FOI letter, Ogun introduced himself as “a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, legal practitioner, human rights activist and public interest advocate with a passion for defending human rights, and upholding the tenets of rule of law, constitutional democracy, fiscal transparency and good governance. I write for myself and on behalf of other concerned Nigerians (‘we’).”
He went on to stress the importance of transparency in the management of public funds. “In view of this, we write pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 to respectfully request for the full names, disbursement dates, total amount disbursed, and states of residence of the ‘8.1 million households’ that allegedly benefited from the NGN330,000,000,000.00 palliative. Corruption thrives in darkness.”
Ogun further added, “We are confident that this request will be treated urgently in line with the 7 days rule stipulated under Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. In the unlikely event that our modest request is not met within the statutory timeframe, we will be compelled to take appropriate legal steps, in furtherance of public interest. We are, however, hopeful that you will not allow it to get to that stage.”
The dispute has continued to raise questions about accountability, fiscal transparency, and the government’s handling of the National Social Safety Net Programme, which has been at the center of Nigeria’s poverty reduction and cash transfer initiatives.
