The initiative was announced by Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, in an interview on The Morning Show on Arise Television.
Professor Yilwatda outlined that the ministry aims to implement the program in all 36 states by January 2025, targeting the registration of up to 18.1 million households through the National Identity Number (NIN) system. He stated, “Our goal is to roll out the program across all states by January and quickly capture the NIN of these households to facilitate their payments.”
“We aim to deploy the program by the end of January across all 36 states to quickly capture the NIN of up to 18.1 million Nigerian households for payment,” the minister stated.
He added, “The president’s target is 15 million households, with an average of 4 to 5 people per household. This means we’re looking at approximately 70 million individuals, each receiving N75,000 this year.”
The initiative, part of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to combat extreme poverty, is designed to establish a more inclusive social safety net for Nigerians. Yilwatda emphasized that the program would benefit an estimated 70 million individuals nationwide.
Driving Digital Inclusion for the Poor
The program aims to enhance the digital identities of low-income Nigerians by partnering with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to boost NIN registrations. According to Yilwatda, this collaboration will streamline the process and ensure vulnerable populations are included.
“We’ve captured data for only 1.4 million of the poorest Nigerians with NIN. We’re working with NIMC, deploying resources, and using World Bank-funded devices to capture data for those without NIN,” the minister explained.
He further outlined that training is ongoing in states like Rivers, Kwara, Abuja, and Nasarawa, with plans to roll out nationwide by January 2025. This will help capture the NINs of up to 18.1 million households and facilitate payments for Conditional Cash Transfers.
Yilwatda emphasized the role of technology in ensuring the program is efficient, transparent, and accountable, highlighting that digital registration will reduce errors, improve tracking, and ensure funds reach those most in need.
What You Should Know
On January 12, 2024, President Bola Tinubu suspended all programs managed by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation due to allegations of misappropriation, including those related to the direct cash transfer initiative.
Earlier, on January 8, 2024, President Tinubu had suspended Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, over alleged funds mismanagement within NSIPA.
