By Iyunade Grace
The World Bank’s recent report is highlighting a disturbing trend – only 44% of social benefits actually reach poor Nigerians. This means that despite billions of naira spent on social safety-net programs, the majority of Nigerians living below the poverty line aren’t getting the help they need.
The report identifies several issues contributing to this problem. One major concern is that most programs allocate a fixed amount per household, rather than per person. This disproportionately affects larger, poorer families who have to stretch the benefits among more people. For instance, the National Social Safety Nets Programme (NASSP) provides a flat rate per household, which can be insufficient for bigger families ¹ ².
Another issue is the inadequate funding. Nigeria spends a mere 0.14% of its GDP on social protection, compared to the global average of 1.5% and Sub-Saharan Africa’s 1.1%. This limited budget means that even well-targeted programs can’t make a significant dent in poverty ¹ ².
Some programs, like the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, are more effective because they target individuals rather than households. However, these initiatives are often limited in scope and coverage.
The World Bank is urging Nigeria to increase funding, improve transparency, and adopt per-person benefit structures to make social safety-net programs more effective. They’re also emphasizing the importance of digital payment systems to reduce leakages and ensure benefits reach the intended recipients.
