The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction (FMHAPR) to release the names of beneficiaries and disbursement amounts relating to the Conditional Cash Transfer programme carried out between November 2024 and May 2025.
The ruling was handed down on Monday by Justice Binta Nyako in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1222/2025, brought by lawyer and former governorship candidate Myson Nejo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
At the heart of the case, Nejo sought disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2011 of (i) the names of beneficiaries in all 18 local government areas of Ondo State and (ii) the amounts disbursed to each council for the programme.
The ministry initially responded via the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) acknowledging the request and saying it was retrieving records, but later failed to provide the information.
During proceedings, the ministry’s legal team, led by counsel Ibrahim Moddibo, opposed the application on grounds that disclosure would violate beneficiaries’ privacy. Nejo’s lawyer, Vincent Adodo, countered that the public interest in transparency over taxpayer-funded social programmes outweighed the privacy concerns.
In her judgment, Justice Nyako agreed with the applicant, finding that the information was properly subject to the FOI Act and must be released within seven days. The court also awarded damages of ₦2 million in favour of Nejo for the ministry’s previous refusal to comply.
This judgment aligns with earlier rulings affirming that claims of privacy or inconvenience cannot automatically override public access to information on how government funds are used.
For example, in April the Supreme Court of Nigeria ordered the Edo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (EDOSACA) to release its financial records and in September the Court of Appeal of Nigeria upheld a ruling directing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to disclose details of subsidised exchange-rates provided to pilgrims.
