By Peter Omopo
The Federal Government has confirmed 2.3 million households for payment under its ongoing conditional cash transfer programme, as part of renewed efforts to cushion the economic impact of recent reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification.
The confirmation follows the commencement of a revalidation exercise of the National Social Register, aimed at ensuring that only eligible Nigerians benefit from the government’s palliative initiative.
Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this at a press briefing held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. She explained that the revalidation is being conducted under the National Social Safety Nets project, with biometric verification of at least one adult per household being a key requirement for disbursement.
“The Federal Government is currently conducting a revalidation exercise on the National Social Register under the National Social Safety Net, so that they are able to carry out the payment,” she said.
The exercise comes amid concerns from the World Bank over the slow rollout of the cash transfer programme, which was launched in 2023. In its latest Nigeria Development Update report titled “Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth”, the World Bank noted that only 37 percent of the targeted 15 million households — approximately 5.6 million — had received at least one tranche of payment, two years after the scheme began.
The World Bank, which approved an $800 million loan for the initiative, reported that $530 million had been disbursed as of April 30, 2025. It urged the Nigerian government to ramp up support for vulnerable populations, highlighting the importance of biometric identity verification to improve the programme’s reach and effectiveness.
“Efforts to urgently provide support to the poorest and most economically at-risk households should be redoubled and expanded,” the report stated.
