The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has revealed that the Federal Government is targeting 15 million households—approximately 75 million Nigerians—in its conditional cash transfer program.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Yilwatda stated that each household would receive ₦25,000 per month, disbursed three times a year, as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to cushion the impact of economic hardship on vulnerable Nigerians.

“The president was so specific. He introduced policies aimed at easing challenges for people at the lower end of the economic pyramid,” Yilwatda said.

The minister emphasized that the initiative focuses on reaching 15 million households, each estimated to comprise five members, ensuring widespread impact.

“So, if we’re targeting 15 million households, it means the President is targeting 75 million Nigerians to benefit from this conditional cash transfer,” he explained.

Yilwatda disclosed that the Federal Government has already reached five million people through the program but faces challenges related to compliance with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s financial policies.

“The CBN policy requires digital identities for transparency and traceability. Currently, about 1.4 million people in the social register have digital identities, and we are working on sanitizing the register.”

He further clarified that most beneficiaries are individuals outside the banking system, necessitating efforts to integrate them into formal financial structures.

The minister highlighted that women are prioritized as household heads to ensure effective management of funds.

“We target women because they take care of children and vulnerable members of the household,” he said.