Auditor-General flags N33.75 billion in transfers to unverified beneficiaries

Nigeria’s Auditor-General has questioned whether N33.75 billion in government cash transfers reached genuine beneficiaries, after auditors failed to obtain records needed to verify the payments.

The transfers covered 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries across 35 states in 2023. The recipients had been drawn from the National Social Register and enrolled on the National Beneficiary Register, according to the Auditor-General’s 2024 report on non-compliance and internal control weaknesses in federal ministries, departments and agencies.

But the paid vouchers did not contain beneficiaries’ full details. Auditors also said the Remita statement required to compare those who received the money with people listed on the two official registers was not presented for examination. The report said this prevented auditors from authenticating the payments and determining whether the recipients were genuine.

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All efforts to obtain access to the REMITA statement were obstructed and denied by NTCO accounts staff, thereby frustrating the audit process.

The auditors said attempts to obtain the payment records were unsuccessful. “All efforts to obtain access to the REMITA statement were obstructed and denied by NTCO accounts staff, thereby frustrating the audit process,” the report stated.

The Auditor-General identified possible losses to public funds and payments to ineligible or fictitious people as risks. It recommended that the National Programme Manager explain the N33.75 billion to the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committees and provide evidence that beneficiaries received the money. If the amount cannot be satisfactorily accounted for, the report recommended recovering and remitting it to the Treasury.

The report also said the National Cash Transfer Office’s management failed to respond to the audit query. Separately, auditors questioned N36.744 billion in payments made in December 2023 without internal audit or prepayment checks.

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Electronic transfers amounting to N33,751,080,000.00 were made to 3,295,207 households/beneficiaries that have been mined to the NSR and enrolled on the NBR in 35 states for the year 2023.