By Olakunle Oke
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 nationwide.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, made this known on Thursday in Calabar, Cross River State, during the maiden edition of the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
According to the minister, the intervention underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty through coordinated, inclusive and data-driven humanitarian programmes.
Doro said the government is working to reach 50 million beneficiaries before the end of the year, stressing that social protection remains a central pillar of the Tinubu administration’s poverty reduction agenda.
“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,” he 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 efforts cannot deliver sustainable impact.
The minister 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,” Doro added.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Tanko Sununu, said evolving global dynamics have reshaped humanitarian response, making collective action, innovation and partnership more critical than ever.
At the council, stakeholders submitted 99 memoranda, out of which 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), called on the Federal Government to develop a national framework for monitoring and evaluating humanitarian and poverty reduction interventions across the country.
The Executive Director of dRPC, Dr. Judith-Ann Walker, said such a framework would harmonise indicators, improve coordination between federal and sub-national 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 of poverty reduction programmes.
Meanwhile, Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, represented by his deputy, Mr. Peter Odey, commended the Federal Government for hosting the maiden council in Calabar.
The governor pledged the state’s continued support for poverty reduction initiatives, particularly interventions targeted at border communities and displaced persons affected by cross-border movements from Cameroon.
