FG begins revalidation of social register, clears 2.3m households for cash transfers

The Federal Government has commenced the revalidation of the National Social Register (NSR) as part of efforts to improve the conditional cash transfer programme targeted at cushioning the effects of recent economic reforms.

So far, 2.3 million households have been confirmed and cleared for payment under the renewed scheme, according to the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote.

She disclosed this at a press briefing held at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, noting that the exercise is being carried out under the National Social Safety Nets Project to ensure only eligible Nigerians receive government palliatives.

“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,” Coker-Odusote 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.”

She emphasised the importance of accurate identity verification to avoid misallocating funds meant for the most vulnerable.

“We don’t want to pay people who no longer exist in this world. So, the right thing must be done,” she said.

“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 they say they are in real time.”

The revalidation comes amid concerns from the World Bank about the slow pace of implementation of the programme, which was launched in 2023 following the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market.

In its latest Nigeria Development Update titled “Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth,” the World Bank revealed that only 5.6 million households—representing 37 percent of the target 15 million—had received any cash transfers two years after the launch.

The institution had approved an $800 million loan to support the scheme, out of which $530 million had been disbursed as of April 30, 2025.

“Only 5.6 million households—around 37 percent—have received at least one tranche of direct transfers,” the report stated. “Further expansion of the programme remains dependent on biometrically verifying at least one adult member of the household with a foundational digital identity.”

It added that “efforts to urgently provide support to the poorest and most economically at-risk households should be redoubled and expanded.”

In a separate interview on Arise TV, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, attributed the slow rollout to the need for biometric verification, which he described as a necessary step to ensure transparency and avoid fraud.

“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,” he said.

“The reason why only 37 percent 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 called for public patience, stressing that the integrity of the process must take precedence over speed, especially when public funds meant for vulnerable citizens are involved.