FG disbursed N600bn cash to 10m Nigerians in three years

The federal government says it has disbursed more than N600 billion in cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians in three years as parts of its efforts to cushion biting cost-of-living crises.

Bernard Doro, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, made this known on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television.

Doro said the payments were part of the measure taken by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to support the poor and vulnerable households and improve their living conditions.

The minister said the cash-transfer programme backed by an $800 million World Bank facility had reached slightly more than 10 million households, which could translate to about 40 million people based on an average household size of four.

The target is to reach about 15 million households relying on a national social register which consists of millions of Nigerians who are vulnerable and in need of support.

“We have done over N600 billion in cash transfers to be able to support vulnerable Nigerians within three years,” Doro said.

Nigerians are still reeling from the fallout of the radical reforms embarked upon in May/June 2023, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the subsequent devaluation of the naira.

Those reforms, though necessary to restore the almost collapsing economy, have stoked the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation with inflation ballooning and poverty rates hitting the roof.

That has left the government with no option but to directly transfer cash to vulnerable households even though the World Bank has flagged roll-out delays and cited gaps in coverage relative to population in need.

The minister also said the government had recently launched a vocational skills programme under which more than 18,000 people were trained and provided with starter kits and stipends.

According to Doro, the beneficiaries also received training in business management and accounting, enabling them to establish businesses.

He said the government is also supporting farmers through a separate programme as part of efforts to improve livelihoods and reduce poverty.

Further defending the impact of the cash-transfer programme, the government official said the payments could make a significant difference to the poorest households despite the relatively small amount received by each beneficiary.

“N25,000 can look very small to elites, but not to the poorest of the poor,” he said.

The minister said the government is focused on translating improvements in the broader economy into better living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.

“My job is to translate macroeconomic gains as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction. I translate the microeconomic gains to the micro level, and you can see the traction,” he said.

Doro said the government is also monitoring the risk of food insecurity in northern Nigeria following projections that more than 70 million people across nine conflict-affected states could face acute food insecurity.

He said the figures were merely projections and did not necessarily represent the actual number of people who would experience food insecurity.

The minister noted that the government had recently implemented a presidential intervention on food and nutrition across 10 northern states, saying it would continue to monitor the situation and intervene where necessary.