2.2m poor households to receive FG’s cash transfer —Minister

…Says over 3 million Nigerians remain internally displaced

…As Speaker Abbas calls for stronger legislative action

By Juliet Umeh & Gift ChapiOdekina Odekina

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tanko Sununu, said yesterday the federal government was committed to alleviating poverty in the country.

Sununu, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said over two million poor households had been captured in the social net as they would receive the government’s cash transfer soon.

“In the next few days to come, before the end of August, we are going to reach out to 2.2 million households.

“The process is such that the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, NASSCO, will now harvest vulnerable Nigerians based on their lowest cadre in the national social register,” the minister said.

He explained that the current administration had carried out interventions for the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

Sununu stated that significant progress had been made under the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, with hundreds of billions already disbursed.

“For those Nigerians, it is a rapid conditional cash transfer. So far, we have disbursed N419 billion to five million Nigerians.

“We have distributed 71 per cent in the northen part and 21 per cent in the southern part of the country,” the minister said.

At a separate event in Abuja, the minister raised concerns over Nigeria’s worsening humanitarian crisis, stating that more than three million people remained internally displaced as a result of flooding, insecurity, and other natural disasters.

He warned that millions of citizens risked sliding deeper into hunger and malnutrition as global aid funding dwindles.

Speaking during the inauguration of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on flood management and response, the minister said the combined effects of natural disasters, insecurity, and shrinking donor support had created a “critical humanitarian challenge” for the country.

“Globally, humanitarian funding is shrinking, and Nigeria is not exempted.  Just a few days ago, the World Food Programme suspended some of its activities, which had supported more than 1.2 million Nigerians with emergency transfers in the North-East. This leaves over 300,000 children at risk of malnutrition, while more than 200,000 are already receiving treatment,’’ he said.

Poverty, the minister stressed, remained unevenly spread across the country, with the north accounting for about 65 per cent of Nigeria’s poor population.

“Out of this 65 percent, more than 70 percent are smallholder farmers. Sadly, most of them have lost their farmlands and livelihoods to floods and droughts.

“In response to the crisis, the federal government is strengthening interventions through the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP. The minister disclosed that under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP, smallholder farmers have received interest-free loans of N300,000 each to help them recover from losses,’’ he said.

He also revealed that more than 5.9 million households—approximately 25 million Nigerians—have benefited from N419 billion in conditional cash transfers. The funds, he explained, are meant to cushion the impact of economic hardship and sustain vulnerable families.

“These efforts are part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians maintain dignity of life despite economic challenges,” the minister said. “With the support of the House of Representatives, we will continue to work to protect vulnerable households and restore livelihoods.”

Inaugurating the Committee, speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, who was represented by Leader of the House, Prof. Julius Ihombvere, charged members to provide both immediate and long-term solutions to Nigeria’s recurring flood crisis.

He said flooding had in recent years inflicted devastating losses on Nigerian communities, destroying livelihoods, displacing families, and undermining development efforts.

“Flooding goes beyond being a mere environmental issue. It is an economic, social, and humanitarian challenge.  Every year, thousands of families are displaced, farmlands are submerged, and critical infrastructure is washed away. These tragedies demand deliberate and well-coordinated responses,’’ he said.

The speaker stressed that the 10th House of Representatives remained committed to addressing matters that directly affected Nigerians, including natural disasters, adding that the duty of lawmakers extended beyond lawmaking to anticipating challenges, strengthening institutions, and ensuring government responses met the needs of citizens.

He tasked the committee to identify gaps in Nigeria’s preparedness and recommend a clear roadmap for national resilience against flooding.

Abbas urged the committee to work closely with key agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, the ministries of environment, water resources, health, works, and housing, as well as state and local governments.

He also highlighted the role of the Nigerian Space Agency in providing satellite imagery for effective flood mapping.

“Flood management requires the concerted involvement of all relevant stakeholders. Only a holistic and coordinated approach will ensure a sustainable response,” he emphasised.

The speaker further directed the committee to pay special attention to legislative gaps hindering effective flood management.

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