Humanitarian budget in 2025 promised hundreds of billions of naira to Nigeria’s most vulnerable.
The government allocated ₦260 billion to create jobs, train citizens, and support 15 million households.
However, millions of families across the country did not receive the relief they desperately needed.
Gap Between Promise And Delivery
By August, only 5.9 million households had received ₦419 billion, leaving millions outside the safety net.
By December, roughly 6.5 million households — 43% of the target — still remained unreached.
The Conditional Cash Transfer scheme sent ₦330 billion to 8.11 million households, mostly in ₦25,000 tranches.
Meanwhile, Skills-to-Wealth and other initiatives released only ₦4.6 billion of the proposed ₦260 billion.
Although nearly 20 million households appear as vulnerable, only 5.5 million actually received direct support.
Execution Challenges On Humanitarian Budget
Experts argue that weak execution, rather than insufficient funding, caused the shortfall in reaching targets.
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Additionally, delays in linking National Identity Numbers to bank accounts slowed payments to many beneficiaries.
“Nigeria spends billions but reaches barely half of intended households,” said economist Samuel Adebayo.
For families, these delays caused missed meals, financial strain, and months of waiting for aid.
Furthermore, N-Power beneficiaries protested unpaid stipends, forcing Senate intervention over ₦81 billion owed since 2022.
Impact On Vulnerable Households
The NSIP framework actively provides cash transfers, N-Power, school feeding, and microcredit schemes nationwide.
Although 56% of beneficiaries live in poverty, only 44% of benefits actually reach them.
Without stronger systems, verification, and monitoring, millions of households will continue falling through the social safety net.
