The Senate has passed for Second Reading a major bill designed to transform Nigeria’s social protection system and cut extreme poverty nationwide. The Social Welfare Service Bill, sponsored by Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, aims to establish a formal, centralized, and accountable structure for delivering welfare support to citizens. Lawmakers described the proposal as an important step toward building a coordinated safety net for vulnerable groups.
According to the bill, the Social Welfare Service, SWS, will be introduced as a new department under the ministry handling humanitarian affairs. The goal is to enhance and consolidate existing schemes by creating a unified system that functions across the country. The legislation states that the Service will open offices in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, ensuring welfare interventions reach communities in every geopolitical zone.
The proposed SWS will implement several types of programs. These include direct support through food packages and cash transfers, educational stipends for struggling students, and assistance with housing. The bill also highlights economic empowerment initiatives such as subsidies for marginal farmers and credit schemes to support small businesses. Allowances for the elderly and persons with disabilities are also part of the planned framework.
Senators stressed that accountability remains a core pillar of the bill. The document outlines the creation of dedicated Safety Centres nationwide to manage operations and monitor services. It also mandates a national beneficiary register to record recipients and track graduates of the programs. Lawmakers said this register will help measure long term results by monitoring how beneficiaries improve after exiting the support schemes.
The bill sets strict eligibility rules to prevent political manipulation and ensure assistance is targeted. These categories include households with incomes below N5,000 per month, day laborers earning less than N3,000 per job, low income artisans, subsistence farmers, and residents of documented slum communities. Sponsors explained that this approach aims to focus government resources on those most in need.
After debate, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Public Service for thorough legislative review. The committee is expected to submit its report within four weeks, marking the next step in shaping what senators described as a potential breakthrough in Nigeria’s fight against poverty.
