Nigeria’s Rising Grant Fraud Threatens Donor Confidence, Group Raises Alarm

Concerns over rising fraud in Nigeria’s grant ecosystem have triggered fresh calls for accountability, with a civil society group warning that the trend could erode donor confidence and undermine development support.

Grassroots Bridge Builders said ongoing efforts to profile individuals and organisations handling grants would help sanitise the system and protect beneficiaries from exploitation.

Head of advocacy of the group, Ibrahim Igoche, disclosed this after a meeting with officials of the Nigeria Police Zone 7 Command in Abuja.

He said a coordinated team had been set up to work across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to identify actors within the grant value chain, including NGOs, cluster heads and beneficiaries.

“We are here to address the issue of the grant saga in Nigeria. Those who subscribed to grants without legal backing now have a basis for redress.

“A team has been set up to profile members of grant communities across the country,” Igoche said.

The development follows growing concerns over the abuse of grant schemes by some operators.

In 2023, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Theophilus Ebonyi over an alleged N1.3 billion fraud linked to a fake grant scheme.

The commission said the suspect falsely claimed affiliation with an international foundation to lure victims, who reportedly paid significant sums to participate.

A Federal High Court in Lafia later ordered the forfeiture of properties linked to the case to the federal government