THE President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government has said it has revalidated a total of 2.3 million households for payment under the conditional cash transfer programme, aimed at cushioning the effects of recent economic reforms.
The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
She explained that the revalidation was being conducted under the National Social Safety Nets project to ensure that only eligible Nigerians benefit from the initiative.
“The Federal Government is currently conducting a revalidation exercise on the national social register under the National Social Safety Net, so that they are able to carry out the payment,” she said.
“As of Tuesday, we have been able to revalidate 2.3 million persons and will soon be able to start making the necessary payments. Our job is to ensure the number of people validated, and we are doing that in conjunction with other agencies to make sure that the money goes to the right people.”
Coker-Odusote stressed the importance of accurate identity verification in delivering targeted interventions and preventing misallocation of funds.
“We don’t want to pay people who no longer exist in this world. So, the right thing must be done, and I want to emphasise that.
“This is the reason for identity, ensuring there is a verifiable source of truth and identity credentials that you can use to validate the identity of someone, and that person can also use it to authenticate who he or she says, they are in real time,” she added.
The revalidation comes amid concerns from the World Bank over the slow pace of implementation of the cash transfer programme, which began in 2023 following the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market.
In its latest Nigeria Development Update report titled “Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth”, the World Bank noted that only 5.6 million households—about 37 per cent of the targeted 15 million—had received at least one tranche of direct transfers.
The report stated, “Only 5.6 million households—around 37 per cent—have received at least one tranche of direct transfers. Further expansion of the programme remains dependent on biometrically verifying at least one adult member of the household with a foundational digital identity.
Also, efforts to urgently provide support to the poorest and most economically at-risk households should be redoubled and expanded.”
The World Bank had approved an $800 million loan for the programme, with $530 million disbursed as of 30 April 2025.
Speaking on the issue, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, told Arise TV that the need for biometric verification had slowed the process but was necessary to maintain the integrity of the programme.
“If you know how the World Bank disburses its funds, they are very careful, and indeed, some persons would even argue that it creates some sort of bottlenecks.
“The reason why only 37 per cent of households have been reached is because of the need to have biometric confirmation. The truth is, the finance ministry has records of disbursements and the indigent beneficiaries.
The only issue is scaling it up, but it is better to be careful than sorry. Going forward, the process will be tidied up even better,” Fasua said.
He urged Nigerians to remain patient, emphasising that the accuracy and transparency of the process were more important than speed.
