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Cash transfer: FG pays N330bn to 8.1m households - PUNCH
By Sami Tunji
The Federal Government has announced that it has disbursed a total of N330bn to 8.1 million households across the country under the National Social Safety Net Programme, aimed at cushioning the harsh effects of economic reforms on Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
The disclosure was made on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, after a review meeting of the Special Presidential Panel on Social Investment, inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in February.
Edun explained that the programme, which experienced delays earlier in the year, was now firmly back on track following the successful integration of biometric data through the National Identification Number. This integration, he said, was crucial to ensuring transparency, curbing leakages, and eliminating political interference.
According to the minister, out of the 19.7 million households captured in the National Social Register—representing about 70 million Nigerians—8.1 million households have already received at least one tranche of the N25,000 stipend. Some beneficiaries have received two or three payments depending on verification outcomes.
He noted that an additional 2.2 million households were paid in the last cycle after their Bank Verification Numbers and NIN were successfully validated. Edun attributed earlier delays to the lag in NIN enrolment but stressed that all outstanding payments would be concluded before the end of 2025.
“We are pleased to report that the social protection programme, which provides a safety net to help Nigerians cope with rising prices, is now firmly back on track.
Already, 8.1 million households have received at least one tranche of the N25,000 promised to them, with two more payments outstanding,” Edun said.
The minister added that the programme, partially supported by an $800m World Bank loan, has become the foundation for building a modern, transparent, and sustainable social protection system in Nigeria.
Edun pointed out that the programme’s scope had been expanded from an initial target of 15 million households to 19.7 million, underlining the government’s determination to shield low-income Nigerians from the impact of subsidy removal and currency reforms.
He stressed that the digital payment system—through bank accounts and mobile wallets—was robust, sustainable, and immune from political meddling. “In any modern economy, a social safety net is essential. Nigeria now has the capability to budget annually for direct support to vulnerable groups, ensuring timely intervention as needed,” he declared.
Providing further details, the National Coordinator of the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office, Funmi Olotu, revealed that about 10.2 million NINs had been collected during household visits, out of which 9.6 million were validated by the National Identity Management Commission.
She explained that only validated beneficiaries were eligible for payments, thereby ensuring the integrity of the process. “The National Social Register is not a political register. The Minister of Finance cannot give me names to put on the register. Mr President cannot give me names either,” she stressed.
Olotu further disclosed that President Tinubu had issued an executive order making the NSR the sole database for all government interventions going forward, thereby eliminating duplication and ensuring that interventions are based on verified data.
She emphasized that the NIN integration, though initially responsible for delays, was necessary for accuracy and long-term sustainability. “The framework was designed not just for this intervention but as the permanent foundation of Nigeria’s social protection system,” she said.
Data from the Presidential Panel on National Social Investment Programmes showed that cumulative beneficiaries rose from 1.78 million households in November 2023 to 8.11 million by August 2025. The data further indicated that 61 per cent of beneficiary households were female-headed, while 39 per cent were male-led. By age, 36 per cent of beneficiaries fall within the 51–65 years bracket, followed by 30 per cent in the 21–35 years range.
A regional breakdown revealed that the North-West received the largest share with three million households, accounting for 72 per cent of disbursements, while the South accounted for 28 per cent.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in a June 2025 report, had raised concerns over the lack of a robust safety net to shield poor Nigerians from the adverse effects of reforms. While acknowledging Nigeria’s progress, the IMF warned that widespread poverty and food insecurity posed a risk to inclusive growth if savings from subsidy removal were not channelled into social protection.
The Fund urged the government to ensure that resources freed up by reforms are directed into priority investments that directly benefit citizens.
With NIN integration, expanded coverage, and an executive order mandating the NSR as the single database for interventions, stakeholders say Nigeria is laying the groundwork for a permanent social protection architecture.
Edun concluded that the programme represents a shift in economic management philosophy. “This was the promise of Mr President, and it is now being implemented alongside wider reforms. For the first time, Nigeria has a credible, transparent and sustainable system of supporting its most vulnerable,” he said.
With disbursements ongoing and structures in place for validation, the government insists that the programme will continue to serve as a buffer for millions of households navigating the effects of economic reforms.
