Nigeria launches N140 billion social protection plan to tackle poverty

Nigeria has launched a significant N140 billion social protection program designed to tackle poverty and cushion the effects of the country's ongoing economic adjustments. The initiative, known as the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project (HOPE-SP), aims to move vulnerable Nigerians beyond temporary aid towards sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance.

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government shifting its emphasis from reactive palliatives to proactive empowerment.

The launch, which included four other related initiatives, marks a strategic shift in the nation's approach to humanitarian intervention and poverty reduction. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, stated that the government is moving from reactive relief to anticipatory social protection, and from merely managing poverty to actively reducing it. This new architecture seeks to address fragmentation and duplication often seen in existing social intervention programs.

According to Doro, the HOPE-SP program will focus on households rather than just counting beneficiaries. It involves identifying vulnerable families, assessing their specific needs, and providing appropriate interventions. Crucially, these households will be tracked through a "poverty graduation pathway" to ensure their eventual economic inclusion and self-reliance. The system will be supported by unified data, digital delivery infrastructure, and enhanced collaboration across all government levels and with development partners.

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government’s objective is to move from reactive relief to anticipatory social protection, and from merely managing poverty to reducing it.

The initiative comes as the nation navigates economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange markets. While these reforms aim to boost investor confidence and government revenue, the administration recognizes the need to protect citizens from economic shocks and provide sustainable routes out of poverty. The First Lady emphasized that the program is designed to lift poor households to self-sufficiency, highlighting the government's commitment to ensuring its economic reforms have a positive and lasting effect on Nigerian households.

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Under the new architecture, vulnerable households would be identified, their needs assessed, and appropriate interventions provided. He said thereafter they would be tracked through a “poverty graduation pathway” towards economic inclusion and self-reliance.