The Federal Government has disclosed that more than 34 million vulnerable Nigerians have benefited from its conditional cash transfer programme, a key intervention aimed at easing economic hardship and reducing poverty nationwide.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Mohammed Doro, made the disclosure on Thursday in Calabar, Cross River State, during the maiden meeting of the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
According to Doro, the initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty through inclusive, coordinated and data-driven humanitarian interventions. He noted that the government is working towards expanding the programme to reach 50 million beneficiaries before the end of the year.
“The Federal Government has so far provided conditional cash transfers to over 34 million vulnerable Nigerians and is targeting 50 million beneficiaries before the end of the year,” the minister said, stressing that social protection remains a core pillar of the Tinubu administration’s poverty reduction agenda.
He explained that the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction was established to improve coordination and effectiveness in humanitarian interventions, warning that fragmented efforts could not yield sustainable results.
Speaking on 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,” Doro emphasised the need for collaboration among federal, state and non-state actors.
“The maiden council sends a clear message that no single institution or level of government can address 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 evolving global realities have reshaped humanitarian responses, making innovation and collective action more critical than ever.
At the council meeting, stakeholders submitted 99 memoranda. Of these, 37 were approved, 19 merged, 25 stepped down, while others received no recommendations.
One of the memoranda, submitted by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), urged the Federal Government to establish a national framework for monitoring and evaluating humanitarian and poverty reduction interventions.
The Executive Director of dRPC, Dr Judith-Ann Walker, said such a framework would harmonise indicators, strengthen coordination between federal and sub-national governments, and improve tracking of outcomes, including beneficiary reach, service quality and impact on vulnerable groups.
She noted that variations in humanitarian interventions across states currently hinder effective monitoring and evaluation.
Meanwhile, Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, represented by his deputy, Peter Odey, commended the Federal Government for hosting the maiden council in Calabar. He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting poverty reduction initiatives, particularly those targeting border communities and displaced persons affected by cross-border movements from Cameroon.
