The Federal Government has disclosed that its flagship Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme has reached over 8.3 million households, directly supporting more than 35 million Nigerians, with plans to expand coverage to 15 million households nationwide in the medium term. The disclosure was made by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, during the maiden edition of the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction held in Calabar, Cross River State, from January 27 to 29, 2026.
Doro said the cash transfer scheme, anchored on the National Social Register, remains the backbone of Nigeria’s social protection system and a key tool for cushioning vulnerable households against poverty while creating pathways to economic stability and self reliance. He explained that the programme focuses on supporting poor and vulnerable families with direct cash support to help meet basic needs and reduce financial pressure.
According to the Minister, the expansion target reflects the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to lifting millions of Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty through coordinated, data driven and people centred interventions. He said the government is determined to strengthen social protection systems in line with current economic realities and emerging humanitarian challenges.
The Minister spoke while delivering the keynote address at the Council’s maiden session themed Beyond the National Strengthening Subnationals and Multi Stakeholder Synergy for a Unified Approach to Humanitarian Response and Poverty Reduction. He noted that the theme reflects the urgent need for stronger cooperation among all levels of government and partners.
Doro explained that Nigeria’s humanitarian and poverty challenges, worsened by insecurity, climate shocks, displacement, rapid urbanisation and fiscal pressures, can no longer be addressed through fragmented efforts. He stressed the importance of a unified national framework that brings together federal, state and non state actors.
“The Conditional Cash Transfer programme, anchored on the National Social Register, has reached over 8.3 million households, supporting more than 35 million Nigerians. Our medium term ambition is to reach 15 million households nationwide,” Doro stated.
He added that the creation of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction in 2019 was a strategic response to the rising scale and complexity of humanitarian crises, poverty and social vulnerability across the country. According to him, the Ministry was established to provide better coordination and leadership in addressing these issues.
The Minister noted that through its agencies, including the National Social Investment Programme Agency, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the National Senior Citizens Centre and the SDGs Office, the Ministry has delivered life saving and recovery interventions to millions of Nigerians.
Doro described the newly inaugurated National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction as the institutional vehicle for implementing the Ministry’s vision of One Humanitarian, One Poverty Reduction System. He said the Council would harmonise interventions, eliminate duplication, align financing and integrate humanitarian response with poverty reduction, disaster risk reduction and long term development planning.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the establishment of the Council in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda and thanked the government and people of Cross River State for hosting the maiden session.
In his remarks, the Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, welcomed participants to Calabar and praised the Federal Government for prioritising humanitarian governance and poverty reduction. He highlighted the state’s humanitarian burden, including internally displaced persons, about 50,000 Cameroonian refugees, recurrent flooding, erosion and livelihood challenges in rural communities.
Governor Otu called for stronger federal and international collaboration to address these challenges and announced that Cross River State would continue to host future editions of the Council.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Forum of State Commissioners for Humanitarian Affairs and Cross River State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon Dr Helen Isamoh Egodo, said the Council provides a critical bridge between national policy formulation and grassroots implementation. She stressed that with effective coordination, strengthened data systems such as the National Social Register and sustained funding, Nigeria could significantly reduce poverty and humanitarian vulnerability across states.
The maiden Council ended with a collective commitment by federal and state actors, development partners and civil society organisations to deepen collaboration and accelerate the delivery of social protection programmes aimed at ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind.
