The Federal Government has said that it has so far provided conditional cash transfers to more than 34 million vulnerable Nigerians as part of its ongoing efforts to cushion economic hardship and reduce poverty across the country.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, disclosed this 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 intervention reflects the administration's commitment to lifting millions of citizens out of poverty through coordinated, inclusive, and data-driven humanitarian programmes.
"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," the minister said.
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He explained that the establishment of the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction was designed to strengthen coordination and effectiveness of humanitarian interventions, noting that fragmented efforts could not deliver sustainable impact.
"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," Doro added.
The minister further emphasised that social protection remains a key pillar of President Bola Tinubu's poverty reduction strategy, with the administration focused on expanding the reach and impact of its welfare programmes.
The theme of this year's council meeting, "Beyond the National: Strengthening Sub-national and Multi-Stakeholders' Synergy for a Unified Approach to Humanitarian Response and Poverty Reduction," he noted, highlights the need for collaboration among federal, state, and non-state actors.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Tanko Sununu, said that changing global dynamics have reshaped humanitarian response, making collective action and innovation imperative for success.
During the council's deliberations, stakeholders submitted 99 memoranda, out of which 37 were approved, 19 merged, and 25 stepped down, while others received no recommendations.
One of the approved submissions, presented by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), called on the Federal Government to develop a national framework to monitor and evaluate humanitarian and poverty reduction interventions across the country.
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The Executive Director of dRPC, Dr Judith-Ann Walker, said the proposed framework would help 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.
"At present, humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction interventions vary from state to state, presenting a challenge to coordinated and harmonised monitoring and evaluation," Walker explained.
"The memo therefore challenged the federal government to create a framework that would provide clear objectives and indicators to track humanitarian outcomes."
In his remarks, Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu, represented by his deputy, Peter Odey, commended the Federal Government for hosting the maiden council meeting in Calabar. He pledged continued support for poverty reduction initiatives, especially those targeting border communities and displaced persons affected by cross-border movements from Cameroon.
