FG disburses N9.9bn cash support to poor, vulnerable households in Ondo, says minister

...captures 396,671 households

...says over nine million benefited nationwide so far

The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has disbursed about N9.9 billion in direct cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households in Ondo State under its expanded social protection drive.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr Bernard Doro, said this during a working visit to Akure, where he paid a courtesy call on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as part of ongoing nationwide assessment of the Renewed Hope social intervention programmes.

Doro explained that the intervention, implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is designed to strengthen household welfare through direct financial support to the poorest segments of society.

According to the Minister, the Household Prosperity and Cash Transfer Programme has so far delivered N75,000 in three tranches to eligible households across the country, with over nine million households benefiting nationwide.

He disclosed that Ondo state alone has received "about N9.9 billion across successive payment cycles" covering the first, second, and ongoing disbursement phases of the programme.

The minister also noted that the initiative reflects the President Tinubu led administration’s commitment to expanding social protection and reducing poverty through targeted and verifiable interventions.

However, he expressed concern over low awareness levels among beneficiaries, stressing the need for stronger communication and grassroots engagement to ensure citizens fully understand and access government support schemes.

Doro said the federal government is currently engaging selected beneficiaries across states, including Ondo, to confirm receipt of funds and gather feedback aimed at improving future implementation.

He added that the ongoing exercise also serves as a national data validation process to improve transparency, strengthen accountability, and enhance targeting under federal welfare programmes.

Remarking, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the state has recorded about 396,671 beneficiary households across the payment cycles, noting that the scale of the programme requires targeted verification rather than full household tracking.

He commended the Tinubu administration for prioritising direct welfare support to vulnerable citizens, describing the initiative as impactful in cushioning economic hardship at the grassroots.

Aiyedatiwa also urged relevant agencies to address challenges linked to National Identification Number (NIN) registration to ensure smoother and more inclusive access to the programme.

He reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to continue collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure effective delivery of all social intervention programmes.

Earlier at a stakeholders meeting held at Ibule in Ifedore Local Government Area of the state, the minister said the Federal Government is already working on a redesigned social protection framework.

Doro specifically noted that grassroots engagement remains critical to ensuring that future interventions reflect actual needs and realities.

He, however, described the exercise as a data validation process aimed at strengthening accountability, improving targeting and enhancing the effectiveness of federal welfare programmes nationwide.