FG says N600bn cash transfers reached over 10m households

THE Nigerian government says it has spent more than N600 billion on cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians since President Bola Tinubu began his administration on May 29, 2023.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr Bernard Doro, disclosed the figure on Wednesday while appearing on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.

Doro said the transfers were intended to cushion the hardship faced by poor households and provide support that could improve their livelihoods.

He put the number of households reached by the programme at slightly above 10 million. Based on an estimated average of four people per household, he said the intervention could have indirectly benefited roughly 40 million Nigerians.

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

Doro also highlighted the government’s vocational training initiative, saying more than 18,000 Nigerians had been trained under the programme and given starter kits as well as stipends.

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He said the training went beyond technical skills, with beneficiaries also receiving instruction in business management and accounting to help them set up and manage businesses.

According to the minister, the government is implementing another intervention targeted at farmers as part of its broader strategy to reduce poverty and strengthen household incomes.

Doro defended the value of the cash transfers, arguing that amounts that might appear insignificant to wealthier Nigerians could be substantial for people living in extreme poverty.

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

He said the government’s objective was to ensure that gains recorded at the macroeconomic level ultimately improve conditions for Nigerians at the household level.

“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,” Doro said.

On food security, the minister said the government was keeping a close watch on northern states following projections that over 70 million people across nine conflict-affected states could face acute food insecurity.

He cautioned that the figure was a projection and did not mean all those identified would necessarily experience food insecurity.

Doro said the Federal Government had also launched a presidential food and nutrition intervention covering 10 northern states, adding that officials would continue assessing the situation and respond when further interventions became necessary.