Govt set to end cycle of poverty, vulnerability, says minister
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, has said the Federal Government is planning to launch an initiative that will break the cycle of poverty and
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, has said the Federal Government is planning to launch an initiative that will break the cycle of poverty and vulnerability among Nigerians.
The minister said the initiative, called the One Humanitarian-One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), is a flagship reform programme designed to link humanitarian support to sustainable pathways out of poverty.
He explained that under OHOPRS, families receiving food and nutrition assistance would be connected to broader social protection programmes, including conditional cash transfers, livelihood support schemes, and skills development initiatives.
Doro said the initiative aims to restore dignity and economic self-reliance among vulnerable households.
The minister announced the government’s plans when he flagged off the Presidential Initiative for Food and Nutrition Assistance in Niger State at the weekend.
The initiative is meant to cushion the effects of food insecurity, prevent malnutrition, and support expectant mothers, children, and displaced households.
Doro explained how the ministry plans to alleviate poverty, saying: “Under my leadership, the ministry is implementing its flagship reform initiative, the One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS).
“OHOPRS is designed to ensure that affected populations do not receive one-off assistance alone. Rather, humanitarian support should serve as a gateway into structured social protection systems and sustainable pathways out of poverty.
“What this means is simple but transformative: families receiving food and nutrition assistance today must be linked to broader Federal Government social protection programmes, like the conditional cash transfers, livelihood support schemes, skills development initiatives, micro-enterprise financing, and other poverty-reduction interventions that restore dignity and economic self-reliance. This is how we break the cycle of repeated vulnerability.”
He added that the reform would also expand the National Social Register (NSR).
He added: “In line with this reform, the Federal Government is currently expanding and strengthening the NSR to ensure that vulnerable households across the country are properly identified, documented, and integrated into structured social protection systems.”
The minister assured fellow Nigerians that the reform would lead to a shift from emergency response alone to a continuum of support that connects relief, recovery, resilience, and poverty exit.”
He promised to prioritise Niger State in the renewed disaster preparedness plan, aiming to mitigate the impact of future flooding and other humanitarian crises.
Alluding to the devastating effects of last year’s flooding in Niger State, which affected households, farmlands, and infrastructure, Doro said: “Let me also specifically address the flooding incident that affected Niger State last year. We recognise the profound impact it had on households, farmlands, infrastructure, and livelihoods across several communities.
“I want to assure the government and people of Niger State that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction is working closely with the Presidency to ensure that such devastating occurrences are better anticipated, mitigated, and managed going forward.
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“In this regard, the ministry is currently collaborating with the Presidency and relevant national stakeholders to develop the 2026 National Anticipatory Action Framework and Financing Instrument.
“The framework will institutionalise early warning systems, pre-arranged financing mechanisms, and coordinated preparedness measures to ensure that resources are deployed before disasters escalate into humanitarian crises.
“I am pleased to state clearly that Niger State is a key priority within this framework. Our goal is simple: to move from reactive response to proactive protection.”
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for the interventions and support to the state during challenging times.
Bago admitted that the state’s land mass makes it challenging to police everywhere without interventions from the Federal government, international partners and donor agencies.
The governor recalled that last year’s water overflows from the four hydro-power dams in the state affected communities at the lower Niger Basin.
He stated that the backlash from the activities of extremists and bandits in the Northwest was having ripple effects on Niger State and causing humanitarian crises, with many families displaced.
Bago urged the ministry to collaborate with the state government and donor agencies in finding solutions to how displaced children could be enrolled in schools and defeat the ideologies of Boko Haram.
