Fact-checks have discredited claims of N25,000 payments circulated by a presidential aide, exposing contradictions and false testimonies.
An attempt by the Presidency to showcase evidence of cash transfers to poor Nigerians has come under scrutiny after checks revealed inconsistencies in the testimonies presented as proof.
On Friday, Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, shared an infographic on X claiming that at least 11 Facebook users had received payments under the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Programme. Some claimed to have received multiple payments of N25,000.
However, fact-checks by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) revealed contradictions. Sandra Jonah, one of those quoted, claimed she registered individually and was paid, but the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) stated this was not possible. “Each state begins by identifying its poorest Local Government Areas based on poverty data and local consensus,” NASSCO explained, stressing that the process is community-led and algorithm-driven, not open to individual registration.
Another testifier, Ikemefuna Nwamaka, claimed she registered at her LGA and later received payment, but her account also contradicted NASSCO’s procedures. Meanwhile, Uzoma Solar, who claimed to have been paid four times, admitted, “It was just cruise… I did not receive a penny.”
FIJ was unable to verify other alleged beneficiaries, while checks suggested some may not qualify under the official poverty targeting framework. Nigerians have since demanded that government publish details of actual beneficiaries.