The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to distribute N75,000 in cash transfers to an estimated 70 million Nigerians, with a focus on those most in need. The initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader efforts to address poverty and expand the country’s social safety net. The announcement was made by Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show.
Yilwatda explained that the cash transfer program would begin in earnest by the end of January 2025 and is expected to cover all 36 states of the federation. The initiative will aim to register up to 18.1 million Nigerian households using the National Identity Number (NIN) system. This registration process will help the government to identify and target households that are eligible for the assistance. According to Yilwatda, the aim is to collect NINs from millions of households across Nigeria to ensure an efficient disbursement process.
“We plan to begin the registration across all states to ensure that we are able to capture as many households as possible,” Yilwatda said. He further clarified that the target for the program is to support 15 million households, and each household is expected to have four to five people on average. This translates to roughly 70 million Nigerians benefiting from the program, which will offer each eligible individual a cash transfer of N75,000 this year.
The cash transfer initiative aims to address extreme poverty in the country by providing direct financial support to the most vulnerable segments of the population. The government has recognized that millions of Nigerians face significant challenges, including unemployment, underemployment, and lack of access to basic necessities. The program will focus on the poorest households in rural and urban areas alike.
Additionally, the government is working to enhance the digital registration system by collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to increase the number of Nigerians with NINs. According to Yilwatda, there are currently only 1.4 million Nigerians from the poorest households who are registered with NINs, and the government is seeking to rectify this gap. To facilitate this process, NIMC is deploying additional resources and training staff across various states, including Rivers, Kwara, Abuja, and Nasarawa, to ensure the effective capture of data.
This initiative is also aligned with the government’s broader focus on digital inclusion. By leveraging technology, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction aims to streamline the cash transfer program, making it more efficient, transparent, and accountable. Yilwatda emphasized that the digital registration system would reduce errors, improve tracking, and ensure that funds are disbursed to the correct individuals.
However, the program comes in the wake of recent allegations of mismanagement within the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), which oversees the direct cash transfer programs. On January 12, 2024, President Tinubu suspended all NSIPA-managed programs due to concerns over funds mismanagement. While this has raised some concerns about the rollout of the program, Yilwatda expressed confidence that improvements in transparency and accountability will ensure its success.