The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s social investment system to deliver measurable outcomes, as over N11.48bn has been disbursed to vulnerable households in Kwara State under the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Cash Transfer programme.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Duro, stated this on Friday during a beneficiary and stakeholder engagement in Ilorin.
According to him, the initiative is part of efforts to build a coordinated and result-driven social protection framework that ensures beneficiaries transition out of poverty.
He said, “What we are building is not just a programme, but a graduation system—one that ensures beneficiaries move from support to stability and ultimately exit poverty with dignity.”
The minister disclosed that in Kwara State alone, 183,186 households benefited in the first tranche of the programme, while 139,812 and 141,852 households were reached in the second and third tranches respectively.
He added that the total disbursement across the three phases stood at N11,482,020,000, noting that some beneficiaries transitioned across phases due to the National Identity Number validation process to ensure transparency and accountability.
Duro explained that the government was aligning interventions under a “One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System” to eliminate fragmentation and ensure that all support programmes are connected and outcome-driven.
He also emphasised that the programme remains free, warning beneficiaries against making any form of payment to access support.
Earlier, the Kwara State Commissioner for Social Development, Dr. Mariam NnaFatima Imam, said the initiative had continued to improve livelihoods across the state.
She noted that the programme, implemented in collaboration with the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, had enhanced coordination and expanded reach to vulnerable groups including orphans, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.
Imam added that the intervention had strengthened household resilience, enabling beneficiaries to rebuild and plan for the future with confidence.
She commended the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for aligning state policies with national social protection goals.
The engagement brought together government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, and beneficiaries to review progress and strengthen collaboration toward poverty reduction.