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The Federal Government has launched ambitious $1 billion poverty alleviation scheme dubbed Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project (HOPE-SP). The scheme will help vulnerable households across the country to achieve sustainable self-reliance. The initiative was unveiled at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. It shifts emphasis from temporary aid to long-term economic independence. The project looks good on paper.
The major components of the scheme include: One-Humanitarian-One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS) and an Emergency Cash Transfer Programme linked to the National Social Register and National Identification Number (NIN). According to the First Lady, the initiative will improve the lives of different segments of vulnerable individuals with shared common objectives that will ultimately improve their wellbeing, especially those facing economic and social vulnerabilities.
This comes against the backdrop of claims by the Tinubu administration that its economic policies have had far-reaching impact on the citizens by strengthening the economy and laying a foundation for sustainable growth and shared prosperity. According to the government, while the reforms continue to take effect, other stakeholders must recognise that millions of Nigerian families still face challenges that require urgent support. Expectedly, reactions have trailed the launch of the scheme. While supporters of the government commend the structured approach of the poverty reduction programme, critics of the administration have questioned the funding transparency. Many see the initiative as campaign rhetoric.
Nigeria’s current poverty level is obvious. The paradox lies in the glaring contradiction between the nation’s immense natural wealth and the extreme deprivation experienced by the majority of the people. According to a recent World Bank report, roughly 130 to 140 million Nigerians live below poverty line, driven by structural barriers rather than citizens’ effort. In that regard, a coordinated national mechanism is needed to deliver on the core objectives of the present initiative to reduce poverty in the country.
The poverty reduction effort should also strive to eliminate duplication of previous intervention programmes that promised so much but delivered very little dividends. Last year, the Country Director of the World Bank in Nigeria, Mr. Lire Ersado, painted a grim picture of why poverty reduction efforts in the country have failed to yield the expected results despite huge investment by successive administrations.
He said that lack of coordination by government’s agencies is why poverty alleviation initiative has not worked. The disclosure by the World Bank is an indictment on our policymakers entrusted with the implementation of poverty palliative measures. It is unfortunate that governments at all levels are focusing more attention on politics rather than on poverty reduction.
Instead of working in synergy, government officials and agencies sometimes clash because of the parallel systems they run in terms of identifying the needy. The lack of synergy is hampering the impact of poverty reduction efforts on the people. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Bernard Doro, recently admitted that a lot needed to be done in poverty reduction efforts. The federal government should walk the talk on poverty alleviation so that impact can be felt.
Statistics from the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Office, and data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), show that between 2015 and early 2025, the sum of N3.5trn was spent on poverty alleviation programmes, with the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) as the flagship initiative.
The NSIP covers four key areas such as the N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfers(CCT), and the Home -Grown School feeding programme. These efforts run alongside the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the 2021-2025 National Development Plan (NDP), aimed at fostering job creation and economic empowerment.
Sadly, the impact is debatable. For instance, the N-Power, which is designed to provide vocational training and temporary employment for unemployed youths and graduates, remains more on paper than a reality. Also, the Conditional Cash Transfers that ought to provide stipends to the poorer households to reduce poverty and improve education and health outcomes has had little impact. In the same way, the NDP, which has the goal of lifting 35 million people out of poverty and create 21 million full-time jobs by 2025, has been riddled with corruption allegations.
These initiatives have been hampered by corruption. Rather than being reduced, poverty is increasing. Government at all levels should address the factors driving poverty in the country. The removal of fuel subsidy is one of them. Unfortunately, the subsidy gains have not trickled down. Also, galloping inflation has erased the purchasing power of many Nigerians, with the poor being the hardest hit. There is need to overhaul the poor data tracking system that has made transparency difficult in poverty alleviation programmes.
The credibility of the National Social Register has been questioned. Some Nigerians believe that the beneficiary lists are not comprehensive and may have excluded many poor people. This has weakened the impact of such initiatives. As a result of rising poverty across the six geopolitical zones, government should intentionally support programmes that will drastically reduce poverty.
