The Federal Government has announced that it has disbursed a total of N330bn to 8.1 million households across the country under the National Social Safety Net Programme, aimed at cushioning the harsh effects of economic reforms on Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
The disclosure was made on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, following a review meeting of the Special Presidential Panel on Social Investment, which was inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in February.
Edun explained that the programme, which experienced delays earlier in the year, was now firmly back on track following the successful integration of biometric data through the National Identification Number. This integration, he said, was crucial to ensuring transparency, curbing leakages, and eliminating political interference.
According to the minister, out of the 19.7 million households captured in the National Social Register—representing about 70 million Nigerians—8.1 million households have already received at least one tranche of the N25,000 stipend. Some beneficiaries have received two or three payments depending on verification outcomes.
He noted that an additional 2.2 million households were paid in the last cycle after their Bank Verification Numbers and NIN were successfully validated. Edun attributed earlier delays to the lag in NIN enrolment but stressed that all outstanding payments would be concluded before the end of 2025.
“We are pleased to report that the social protection programme, which provides a safety net to help Nigerians cope with rising prices, is now firmly back on track.
Already, 8.1 million households have received at least one tranche of the N25,000 promised to them, with two more payments outstanding,” Edun said.