Stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Cash Transfer scheme are calling for stronger awareness, clearer information sharing, and better transparency around the management and delivery of the programme. Their concerns were raised during a community outreach held in Elujoba community in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State. The outreach was organised by Act Naija Project, co-funded by the European Union with support from Brot fur die Welt and ANEEJ, under the theme “Empowering Communities Through Awareness: Strengthening Access and Feedback From Improved Social Protection Programmes In Osun State.”
One of the beneficiaries, Pastor Sesan Kuffo, urged the Federal Government to enhance the structure of the cash transfer scheme so more people can understand and benefit from it. He said, “I want the Federal Government to do certain very important things. Firstly, they should raise awareness among the public. Most people are not aware that this exists, like me. I was not aware of it before, but after being informed. I registered and got the cash transfer once.” Kuffo added that the distribution process must be closely monitored. “Secondly, the Federal Government should monitor the disbursement of the funds while prioritising equity and fairness. This will lead to more accountability and transparency. Thereby, availing everyone to benefit from it.”
The concerns were acknowledged by officials present. The Environmental and Social Safeguard Officer at the State Operating Coordinating Unit, Okunola Omoniyi, said there was room for improvement in programme delivery. According to him, “To every programme of the Federal Government, there has to be a form of improvement. Regarding the disbursement of funds through cash transfers, the issues raised by participants require prompt attention. We know that some received one tranche and others expected three tranches of disbursement, reflecting a need to prioritise equity and fairness. Therefore, I am imploring the Federal Government to make the disbursement seamless such that it will be easier to reach more people and everybody at every time.”
Omoniyi also encouraged citizens to show more interest so the programme can work effectively for them. “Some are lackadaisical when it comes to coming out for such programmes. I am imploring them to see the community outreach as an eye-opener, having listened to testimonies from beneficiaries. So, when such a programme comes to their community, they should endeavour to come out en masse so that those who are affected will easily be identified and enrolled in the social registry,” he said.
The State Programme Officer of New Initiative for Social Development (NISD) on Act Naija Project, Olaniyan Glory, appealed to residents to participate in the registration process so they do not miss out on the benefits. She stated, “I am imploring people to come out during the registration processes. When they are asked to come for registration, they should come out en masse and register so they can also benefit from it. When they don’t register, there is no way they will benefit from it. But when they register, they can also benefit from all the social protection projects in the state.”
Beyond beneficiary complaints, questions over transparency in the national cash transfer process intensified in 2025. In September, human rights lawyer Festus Ogun challenged the Federal Government’s claim that ₦330 billion had been disbursed to 8.1 million households. He filed an FOI request seeking a full beneficiary list, but the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office rejected the request, citing data-privacy laws. The refusal deepened doubts over whether the reported sums truly reached households.
In November, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in favour of another FOI action. It ordered the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to release full details of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme in Ondo State to lawyer and former ADC governorship candidate Myson Nejo. The court also awarded him ₦2 million in damages for the ministry’s earlier refusal, marking a significant push for transparency in the social protection space.
