The Federal Government has announced that more than ₦421 billion has been transferred to Nigerians through its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tanko Sununu, disclosed the figure during an interview on Arise News on Thursday. He said the programme had recorded significant progress, with hundreds of billions of naira already disbursed directly to beneficiaries.
Sununu explained that eligibility for the cash transfers required registration in the National Social Register (NSR). The register currently contains over 18.9 million households, from which the most vulnerable are identified through a separate Rapid Response Register.
According to him, the process includes strict transparency measures. Criteria are verified by the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the World Bank before any payment is made.
Once eligibility is confirmed, Sununu said, the National Conditional Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) sends funds directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. “All those data are really traceable, and they’re transparent and accountable,” he stated.
Addressing concerns about past lapses, the minister acknowledged that the initial phase faced challenges due to many beneficiaries lacking digital identities, making it difficult to confirm who had received payments.
He assured that improved data systems and enhanced oversight are now in place to ensure that funds reach the intended recipients. Sununu added that the ministry remains committed to expanding the programme to reach more vulnerable Nigerians in need of support.
