Cash Transfers to Households: The federal government is utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite technology to identify and assist impoverished Nigerians residing in urban slums, stated Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction. Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme, Yilwatda noted that AI has significantly expanded the National Social Register, which now encompasses nearly 20 million Nigerians.
Yilwatda explained that the social register, originally intended to cover only the rural poor, has increased from 13 million to 19.7 million individuals. He said President Bola Tinubu instructed the ministry to broaden the register to include the urban poor as well. To accomplish this, the government used satellite images to identify urban slums and then utilized telecommunications data to locate residents via their mobile numbers.
“We employed satellite imagery to find urban slums, then used base stations and telecom data to identify phone numbers in those areas,” the minister said. “AI helped us compile a list of urban poor individuals by verifying those numbers, their access to financial services, and other criteria.”
The improved register now allows the government to implement more inclusive anti-poverty programs, covering both rural and urban areas. According to Yilwatda, about 15 million households, equivalent to 75 million people, are targeted by various poverty alleviation efforts. Given that Nigeria has roughly 43 million households, this initiative covers a substantial segment of the population.
Still on Cash Transfers to Households
Addressing hunger, the minister noted that approximately 42 percent of Nigerians suffer from food poverty, which amounts to about 80 million people or 20 million households. Yilwatda said the government is providing conditional cash transfers to 15 million of these households to help alleviate the crisis. Each household receives N75,000, a sum he acknowledged may appear small in urban settings but makes a significant difference in rural areas. Research conducted in collaboration with the World Bank and civil society organizations found that 18 percent of recipients used the cash transfer to start small businesses, while 82 percent improved their food security, and 52 percent paid their children’s school fees. “It is a meaningful supplement that helps cushion the impact of poverty,” he stated.
Beyond immediate relief, the minister highlighted structural reforms aimed at reducing poverty over the long term. These include N1.5 trillion in loans made available through the aggregate bank to support farmers and enhance food production. He also mentioned scholarship programs designed to keep students in school despite economic challenges.
Yilwatda stressed a strategic shift from emergency humanitarian aid to sustainable poverty reduction. “Poverty alleviation eases the hardship; poverty reduction lifts people out of poverty completely,” he said. “Until now, the focus was mostly on humanitarian interventions, relief materials, food distribution, and cash transfers. But that is not enough. We are moving toward actually reducing poverty.”
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