FG Releases ₦330bn Cash Transfers to 8.5 Million Low-Income Households Amid Soaring Living Costs
Story: written by Okafor Joseph September 18,2025
The Federal Government has rolled out ₦330 billion in direct cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households nationwide under its renewed social welfare scheme, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced on Wednesday in Abuja.
The initiative, designed to cushion the impact of subsidy removal and currency reforms, is part of the administration’s broader economic relief efforts. Edun explained that the government has fully resumed implementation of the National Social Safety Net Programme after earlier delays linked to integrating beneficiaries’ biometric and National Identity Number (NIN) data.
So far, 8.5 million households—out of a 15 million target—have received at least one installment of the ₦25,000 monthly transfer, with some already receiving up to three tranches. Each qualifying household is scheduled to receive three payments in total.
“We are glad to confirm that Nigeria’s social protection programme is now back on track,” Edun stated, noting that the initiative is laying the foundation for a modern welfare system in line with President Bola Tinubu’s promise to build long-term safety nets for vulnerable citizens.
The scheme, partly financed by an $800 million World Bank facility, was originally structured to pay ₦5,000 monthly over six months. However, in response to the inflationary pressures and economic hardship triggered by subsidy removal and naira devaluation, the administration raised the payout to ₦25,000 over a three-month period.
According to Funmi Olotu, National Coordinator of the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), payments are now fully digitized and tied to NIN verification to ensure transparency and prevent political interference. “No more manual payments. All transfers go directly into bank accounts or mobile wallets,” she explained.
Olotu confirmed that over 10.2 million NINs have been collected, with 9.6 million already verified by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). She emphasized that the National Social Register (NSR)—which profiles over 70 million Nigerians from 19.7 million households using more than 40 socioeconomic indicators—serves as the sole basis for selecting beneficiaries.
“The NSR is not political,” Olotu stressed. “Neither the Minister of Finance nor the President can add names to the register.”
Although this cash transfer scheme is a short-term intervention, government officials say it is a step toward institutionalizing permanent welfare funding in the national budget. The NSR is also expected to become the central database for all future government and donor interventions, following an executive order from the president.
