The Federal Government has reported that around 15 million vulnerable households have been included in its Benefit Register for conditional cash support, a programme implemented in partnership with the World Bank to help cushion economic shocks.
This was revealed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, in an interview on Arise Television on Friday.
Dr. Doro explained that not all households listed in the National Social Register are eligible for direct financial assistance. “We are currently providing conditional cash support alongside the World Bank, but this funding is intended as a shock-response measure. Not every household in the 17.9 million listed in the National Social Register is included in the Benefit Register, which currently contains roughly 15 million vulnerable households,” he said.
The National Social Register itself holds data on about 17.9 million vulnerable households, identified through community-based assessments and socio-economic information. The minister emphasized that beneficiaries for specific programmes are selected separately depending on the objectives of each intervention.
The conditional cash assistance programme is designed to offer temporary relief to households experiencing economic hardship, rather than serve as a universal entitlement for everyone in the social register. Dr. Doro further noted that the broader register includes approximately 70 million individuals, and efforts are ongoing to expand it to reach as many eligible people as possible.
“From the start, we focused on the poorest of the poor. Currently, about 17.9 million vulnerable households have been captured, translating to roughly 70 million people. We aim to keep expanding the register,” he explained.
The minister also highlighted the important role of local communities in identifying vulnerable individuals. “Communities guide us based on established criteria and questions. We then validate this through home visits, observing living conditions and reviewing personal data to ensure we target the most disadvantaged households,” he said.
Dr. Doro clarified that inclusion in the National Social Register does not automatically guarantee cash support. Beneficiaries are selected separately through the Benefit Register, according to the specific requirements of each programme. “Our goal is to ensure every Nigerian is captured in the National Social Register. But there’s a clear distinction between the Social Register and the Benefit Register. Targeting occurs only when a programme is implemented,” he added.
He concluded by assuring that the Federal Government will continue to expand the National Social Register while making sure that interventions reach those most affected by economic vulnerability and economic shocks.
