The Federal Government has announced plans to incorporate its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme into the national budget, in a bid to sustain support for the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, revealing that N330 billion had so far been disbursed to 8.5 million poor households through the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO).
Beneficiaries received direct digital payments of at least N25,000 per tranche.
The CCT programme, backed by a $800 million World Bank facility, targets 15 million households with three instalments of N25,000 each.
According to Edun, while some households have received one payment, others have benefited from two or all three instalments.
“So far, 8.5 million households have received at least one tranche of N25,000. Some have received two or three payments. The remaining seven million households will be paid before the end of the year,” he assured.
The minister noted that earlier challenges, particularly the linking of beneficiaries’ National Identity Numbers (NIN) to bank accounts and mobile wallets had slowed the process but are now being resolved.
He added that integrating the programme into annual appropriations will make it sustainable and ensure that targeted support remains consistent.
“We now have the basis for a modern social protection system that can provide targeted assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable on a long-term basis,” Edun said, adding that about 19.7 million poor and vulnerable households representing over 70 million individuals — are currently captured in the National Social Register.
Providing further clarification, the National Coordinator of NASSCO, Mrs. Funmi Olotu, said the staggered disbursements were deliberate to ensure transparency.
“No more traditional cash payments. All transfers are direct debit to bank accounts. That is why some households have received one, two, or three tranches already,” she explained, stressing that the register built on over 40 socioeconomic variables is devoid of political interference.
NASSCO data showed that as of August 2025, 8.1 million households had received payments, representing a 54 per cent coverage rate.
An additional 2.2 million households were added since June 2025, following successful BVN/NIN validation exercises.
