Nigeria’s National Social Register Undergoes Revalidation to Enhance Cash Transfers

The Nigerian Federal Government has embarked on a revalidation exercise of the National Social Register to bolster the conditional cash transfer programme designed to cushion the impact of recent economic reforms.

This revalidation is part of the National Social Safety Nets project, which aims to ensure that only eligible households receive government support.

At a press briefing held at the National Identity Management Commission headquarters in Abuja, Director General Abisoye Coker-Odusote revealed that 2.3 million households have been revalidated and cleared for payment. This exercise is crucial to verifying beneficiary identities and preventing misallocation of funds.

The revalidation comes amid concerns from the World Bank over the programme’s slow rollout. The cash transfer initiative, launched in 2023 after subsidy removals and forex market reforms, has reached only 37 percent of its 15 million household target, according to the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update report titled “Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth.” Approximately 5.6 million households have received payments so far.

The World Bank has approved an $800 million loan for the programme, with $530 million disbursed as of April 30, 2025. The bank noted, “Only 5.6 million households-around 37 per cent-have received at least one tranche of direct transfers. Further expansion depends on biometric verification of at least one adult household member with a foundational digital identity.”

Coker-Odusote highlighted the importance of identity verification, stating, “We don’t want to pay people who no longer exist in this world. So, the right thing must be done… ensuring there is a verifiable source of truth and identity credentials.”

Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Economic Affairs, told Arise TV that biometric validation is a necessary step that has slowed the programme’s pace but ensures transparency and fraud prevention. “The finance ministry has records of disbursements and indigent beneficiaries. The only issue is scaling it up, but it is better to be careful than sorry,” he said.