The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded that all 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, publish detailed accounts of how the estimated ₦14 trillion in fuel-subsidy savings received through the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) have been spent.
In a Freedom-of-Information request dated October 4, 2025, SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged the governors and the FCT minister to disclose project locations, completion status, and any future plans tied to forthcoming subsidy-savings allocations. He stressed that citizens have a legitimate interest in knowing how such vast public resources are managed.
The rights group also called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to actively monitor the expenditures to prevent the diversion of funds “into private pockets.” SERAP maintained that the savings from fuel-subsidy removal were meant to cushion hardship for poor and vulnerable Nigerians, not to “fund luxury or political lifestyles.”
According to SERAP, FAAC distributed ₦28.78 trillion from petrol-subsidy removal to the three tiers of government in 2024 — a 79 percent jump from the previous year. State allocations alone reportedly rose by 45.5 percent to ₦5.22 trillion, with monthly disbursements in 2025 averaging more than ₦1.6 trillion. Despite the windfall, the group noted, millions of Nigerians have seen no improvement in access to basic healthcare, education, or infrastructure.
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SERAP alleged that the disbursements have instead been “shrouded in secrecy,” even as some state administrations continued to fund extravagant travel, purchase bullet-proof vehicles, and sustain elite privileges. It warned that such opacity undermines public confidence and exacerbates inequality.
The organisation said many states still owe civil servants’ salaries and pensions while contracting new debts, adding that this disconnect between revenue growth and social welfare “raises legitimate fears of mismanagement.”
Invoking constitutional provisions, SERAP reminded public officials that Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution mandates all institutions to abolish corrupt practices, while Section 16(2) requires that national resources be distributed to serve the common good. It further cited Section 13, which imposes a duty on public bodies to uphold the objectives of Chapter Two of the Constitution.
SERAP gave the governors and the FCT administration seven days to release the requested information or face legal action. The group argued that disclosure would enable citizens to scrutinise expenditure patterns and hold their leaders accountable — an obligation it described as integral to Nigerians’ human right to information.