All over Nigeria, many are eagerly awaiting what was described as “the biggest financial blessing for the poor.” For decades, the word “Theobarth Grant“ has been circulating everywhere on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp groups, each claiming that the grant was “finally here.” But every year ends the same way: no alert, no payment, no proof.
In late 2025, this rumored grant was once more an increasingly popular topic. Search engines are overflowing with terms such as “Theobarth grant disbursement update 2025” or “latest news on Theobarth payment.” The excitement is loud, but behind the noise lies a painful story of broken trust and endless deceit.
Many Nigerians have joined this program with real hopes—unemployed youths, widows, and small business owners, all hoping to find a way out. However, what began as a dream has now turned into one of the most enduring online scams in Nigeria’s history.
Let’s examine the story, the promises, the lies, and the lessons we should learn.
The Story Behind Theobarth Grant
The Theobarth Global Foundation (TGF) began in the year 2000, at COVID-19’s peak, during a time of economic hardship when people needed assistance. Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi, who described himself as an individual with an apostolic mission to combat poverty, headed the foundation. The foundation claimed to work in conjunction with major international organizations, including the United Nations, the Ford Foundation, and even the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The grant was expected to give N1.8 million to every beneficiary, an amount that could change the lives of the majority of Nigerians. To register, applicants were required to pay a tiny “processing fee,” starting at $2,900 and rising to the sum of N48,900 for non-governmental organizations or cluster leaders.
The participants were asked to sign up to “clusters,” attend online seminars, and then recruit others to grow the network. It was like a blend of religion, charity, and network marketing. This strategy proved effective. Thousands joined. However, after several years, the foundation has not verified a single payment.
Endless Promises and Shifting Dates
From the beginning, the founder was always adamant that “disbursement will begin soon.” In 2021, he stated that payments would begin in December. Then, he postponed the start date to the first quarter of 2022 and subsequently delayed it again until 2023. Every time, excuses followed, such as “CBN clearance delays,” “verification issues,” or “system audits.”
There was a constant wait. Many even paid more to get “final approval,” “cluster certification,” or “account linkage.” By 2025, these additional costs will have drained many families. Instead of a sense of hope, the frustration was growing.
In addition, to make matters worse, false “updates” kept spreading on social media—videos that showed people holding mock checks, photoshopped alerts, and even promises that they would receive “pilot disbursements” in Lagos or Abuja. None of them proved to be real.
2025: A Year of New Tricks and Old Lies
This year, fraudsters are getting smarter. They have posted video messages that are convincing and short online on TikTok and Facebook with the claim that “the first batch” has received money. Certain videos use religious language, such as “God’s time is now,” while others claim to represent government agencies or NGOs.
In the month of October, 2025, several pages were viewed as viral, with posts such as “Abuja disbursement meeting confirmed for final sign-off.” But journalists surveyed for the meeting, and they found no meetings, no involvement from the government, and no payments that could be verified.
Although Apostle Ebonyi was detained in 2024 by the EFCC for fraud allegedly involving more than N1.3 million Scammers are exploiting his name and image to perpetuate their scam. This is how potent false hopes can be, and it leaves victims waiting for a miracle that will never happen.
The Reality Behind the Hype
The truth is easy, however difficult to accept: there has never been a verified payment by the Theobarth Global Foundation.
There is no partnership with the CBN, no audited records, and no list of beneficiaries. Each “update” has been another chapter in the long tale of manipulated data.
A few victims have lost all their possessions. The barbershop owner in Lagos reported that he paid more than $200,000 to pay “verification” and “cluster upgrade fees,” hoping to launch his own business once the grant arrived. A widow in Kano has sold her belongings to cover the registration fees for her women’s club, and she is now resuming her street sales. These aren’t statistics. Greed and fraud have devastated these individuals’ lives.
Signs You’re About to Be Scammed
In 2025, scammers employ more sophisticated techniques; however, their methods are not completely clear.
Be careful when you spot these warning indications:
- They will ask for any form of payment prior to receiving the money.
- They utilize WhatsApp Groups or Facebook Pages rather than official sites.
- They share false footage that shows “disbursement” with comments turned off.
- They claim to make unreal quantities of dollars in short period of time.
- They rely on religious phrases and emotionally based pressure to convince you to trust them.
If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a grant, you can check efcc.gov.ng or report it directly to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) via their hotline.
What EFCC Has Done So Far
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been conducting an investigation into this Theobarth issue since 2023. Apostle Ebonyi was detained in 2024 and accused of operating a fraudulent grant. The investigation found that thousands of people across Nigeria and other African countries had deposited money, hoping for a disbursement, but they never received it.
In 2025, the case will be in the court, but there aren’t claims of any reimbursement to victims. A lot of Facebook pages that promoted Theobarth updates proclaim to be “advocacy groups” or “volunteers” as a way to keep their relevance while attracting new victims.
Real Grants That Actually Pay
It’s easy for people to lose faith following such experiences; however, not all grants are fraudulent. There are several legitimate programs in Nigeria that aid entrepreneurs and young people—and don’t charge any fees to apply. Some examples include:
- SMEDAN Pitch Competition in Nigeria
- Business Grants & Enterprise Development for Nigerian Youth
- Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalization Program (YEIDEP)
- FGN-ALAT Digital Skillnovation Fund
- BOA Grant for Agribusinesses in Nigeria
- Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP)
- Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF – Agric Segment)
- Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS)
- National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF)
- Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF)
- Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF)—Offers $5,000 annually for African entrepreneurs.
- Bank of Industry (BOI) MSME Loans—Offers low-interest, verified loans.
- YouWiN! Connect Program—A federal government youth empowerment initiative.
These programs are operated by real organizations and have open data of beneficiaries in the past. Always verify official websites prior to applying for a grant or financing opportunity.
How to Protect Yourself Online
Scammers are apprehensive. Your best protection is to be aware.
Here are easy ways to be safe:
- Do not pay to receive an award or a scholarship.
- Search for press releases from official sources and government websites.
- Do not share your BVN or other personal details on WhatsApp groups.
- Beware of viral videos that do not have authentic links.
- Help others expose frauds instead of propagating these scams.
The internet can help you or destabilize you. The choice lies in the information you trust.
The Final Truth
The Theobarth Grant Disbursement is one of the best examples of how a false sense of hope can entangle good people. It began with lovely promises of relief from poverty but was followed by anger, pain, and distrust. Over the course of five years, the people were waiting for a miracle, but it didn’t come.
However, Nigerians are gaining speedy knowledge. More people are researching information, exposing frauds, and releasing verified information. Each individual’s voice has the power to shield others from deceit.
If you receive an email from someone who says “Theobarth disbursement update,” do not forward it to anyone else. Instead, share the information. The real power doesn’t come through fake grants; it’s the result of knowledge, opportunities that are verified, and self-development.
Theobarth’s story could be a tale of deceit; however, it shows us that being aware is a powerful thing.
In 2025, security starts with the truth.