Iyunade Grace
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned the Federal Government’s reported disbursement of more than ₦600 billion under its cash transfer programme, demanding clarification over an apparent discrepancy in the number of beneficiary households.
The controversy followed a statement by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, who said the Federal Government had disbursed more than ₦600 billion to slightly over 10 million vulnerable households since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office.
Doro made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television, explaining that the intervention was designed to support poor and vulnerable Nigerians and improve their living conditions.
The minister said the programme had reached slightly more than 10 million households, which could translate to about 40 million people based on an average household size of four.
However, Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, questioned the figure, pointing to earlier government claims that the expanded cash transfer programme had reached 15 million vulnerable households.
According to Atiku, the difference between the previously announced 15 million beneficiaries and the latest figure of slightly over 10 million raises questions about the status of the remaining five million households.
The former vice president also questioned the financial arithmetic surrounding the programme. He argued that if 10 million households received the reported ₦25,000 monthly payment for three months, the total would be about ₦750 billion, exceeding the government’s stated expenditure of more than ₦600 billion.
Atiku therefore called on the Federal Government to provide a detailed account of the beneficiaries and payments made under the programme.
He asked the government to publish verifiable information covering the number of beneficiaries, payment tranches, state-by-state distribution, failed transactions, reversals and other relevant details.
The former vice president argued that transparency was necessary to enable Nigerians to understand how the reported ₦600 billion was distributed and reconcile the different figures released by government officials.
The Federal Government, however, maintains that the cash-transfer programme is part of its efforts to cushion the impact of economic hardship on vulnerable Nigerians.
Doro defended the intervention, saying that even payments of ₦25,000 could make a meaningful difference to the poorest households. He said the government was also implementing vocational training and agricultural support programmes aimed at improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.
The minister disclosed that more than 18,000 people had also benefited from a vocational skills programme, receiving training, starter kits and stipends to help them establish businesses.
The latest disagreement has placed renewed attention on the management and transparency of Nigeria’s social intervention programmes, particularly at a time when millions of households continue to face economic pressures.
As political parties and major political figures begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, the debate over cash transfers is also likely to remain an important issue in discussions about poverty reduction, government accountability and economic policy.
For the government, demonstrating a clear and verifiable trail of the funds disbursed could help address concerns over the programme, while opposition figures are expected to continue scrutinising the administration’s claims and policies ahead of the elections.
