FG Disburses ₦330 Billion to Poor Nigerians Under Social Safety Net — Edun

Abuja, September 18, 2025 — The Federal Government has disbursed a total of ₦330 billion in direct cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households across Nigeria, finance minister Wale Edun announced on Wednesday. 

The payments are part of the revamped National Social Safety-Net Programme, designed to cushion low-income Nigerians from the harsh effects of recent economic reforms including subsidy removal and currency floating. 

Key Facts

• Target & Coverage: About 19.7 million households, representing over 70 million individuals, are registered on the National Social Register as poor or vulnerable. Beneficiaries paid so far: Roughly 8.1 to 8.5 million households have received at least one tranche of payment. Some have already received two or all three tranches of ₦25,000 each. 

• Payment structure: Each household is expected to receive three payments of ₦25,000. 

Implementation & Oversight

To ensure integrity and reduce delays, the programme enforces:

• Verification of beneficiaries using National Identity Number (NIN). Digital transfers via bank accounts or mobile wallets instead of cash distribution.

• The National Social Register (NSR) is being used as the official database for all social interventions to avoid duplication and political interference. 

Next Steps

• The government expects that the remaining ~6.9 to 7 million households will receive payments before the end of 2025. 

• There are plans to institutionalise the programme by including social protection and conditional cash transfers in future federal budgets, so support becomes more sustainable. 

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Implications & Questions

• For many households, this relief comes at a critical time, given inflation and living cost pressures. The cash injection should help with food, utilities, and other essentials.

• However, delays in NIN enrolment and verification have slowed down disbursements. The effectiveness depends heavily on how fast outstanding validations are completed.

• Monitoring and transparency will be key — how well the register is managed, how quickly payments reach last-mile recipients, and measures to ensure that excluded vulnerable persons are identified.

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Bottom line: The FG’s disbursement of ₦330 billion signals a serious effort to support the poorest Nigerians amid challenging economic reforms. While there are implementation risks, recent improvements in verification and digital payments suggest the programme is gaining traction.