FG has provided cash transfers to over 34 million vulnerable Nigerians — Minister

The Federal Government has disclosed that it has so far provided conditional cash transfers to over 34 million vulnerable Nigerians as part of ongoing efforts to cushion economic hardship and reduce poverty across the country.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, made this known on Thursday in Calabar Cross Rivers State at the maiden edition of the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

According to the minister, the intervention reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty through coordinated, inclusive, and data-driven humanitarian programmes.

He added that the government is targeting 50 million beneficiaries before the end of the year, stressing that social protection remains a key pillar of the Tinubu administration’s poverty reduction strategy.

“The Federal Government has so far provided conditional cash transfers to over 34 million vulnerable Nigerians and is working to reach 50 million beneficiaries before the end of the year,” Doro said.

He explained that the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction was established to strengthen coordination and effectiveness of humanitarian interventions, noting that fragmented and isolated efforts could not deliver sustainable impact.

Doro said the theme of the 2026 council, “Beyond the National: Strengthening Sub-national and Multi-Stakeholders’ Synergy for a Unified Approach to Humanitarian Response and Poverty Reduction,” highlights the need for collaboration among federal, state, and non-state actors.

“The maiden council is a clear statement that no single institution or level of government can resolve Nigeria’s humanitarian challenges alone. Only a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach can restore hope and improve livelihoods,” he added.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Tanko Sununu, said changing global dynamics have reshaped humanitarian response, making collective action and innovation imperative.

At the council, stakeholders submitted 99 memoranda, out of which 37 were approved, 19 merged, 25 stepped down, while others received no recommendations.

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One of the memoranda, submitted by the Development Research and Projects Centre, called on the Federal Government to develop a national framework to monitor and evaluate humanitarian and poverty reduction interventions across Nigeria.

The Executive Director of dRPC, Dr Judith-Ann Walker, said such a framework would harmonise indicators, improve coordination between federal and subnational governments, and enhance tracking of outcomes such as beneficiary reach, service quality, and impact on vulnerable groups.

She noted that variations in interventions across states currently pose challenges to effective monitoring and evaluation.

“At present, humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction interventions vary from state to state, presenting a challenge to coordinated and harmonised monitoring and evaluation of poverty reduction in Nigeria.

“The memo therefore challenged the federal government to create a framework that would provide a clear objective and indicators to track humanitarian outcomes, such as beneficiary reach, service quality, and impact on vulnerable groups in Nigeria,” she said.

Meanwhile, Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, represented by his deputy, Peter Odey, commended the Federal Government for convening the maiden council in Calabar.

The governor pledged continued support for poverty reduction initiatives and interventions targeted at border communities and displaced persons, particularly those affected by cross-border movements from Cameroon.