The Federal Government of Nigeria has disbursed conditional cash transfers to six million Nigerians within a six-month period, according to Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction. Speaking at the Skills-to-Wealth Training Programme in Jos, Plateau State, Yilwatda highlighted the rapid expansion of the initiative compared to the previous nine years, during which only two million people had benefited overall.
Yilwatda attributed the programme’s recent success to the adoption of a digitized and streamlined approach. He explained that the ministry had initiated a comprehensive overhaul of the national social register, including digital identification and e-wallet creation for beneficiaries. Additionally, unverified and erroneous entries were removed to ensure accurate targeting of recipients.
With the enhanced system in place, the ministry is now reaching approximately one million people each month. This surge aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to support 15 million households by October 2025. Yilwatda reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to meeting this target, citing it as a top national priority in the government’s efforts to alleviate poverty.
To reinforce accountability and transparency, the ministry enlisted the World Bank to independently verify the identities of beneficiaries. Yilwatda disclosed that the World Bank confirmed the existence of 96 percent of the recipients by conducting home visits. The remaining four percent were unreachable due to migration or insecurity in remote regions.
Overall, the rapid scaling of the cash transfer programme marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s approach to social welfare. With digitization, increased transparency, and clear presidential mandates, the initiative aims to reach more Nigerians in need while maintaining accountability and credibility on a global scale.