FG: Needs to address the trust gaps in Nigeria’s cash Transfer Program

By Emmanuel Okoegwale

The Federal Government recently announced plans to scale up its direct cash transfer programme to reach more poor and vulnerable Nigerians. 

According to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, the initiative currently benefits more than 15 million households nationwide.

Yet across social media and public discussions, citizens continue to ask hard questions,  who selects the beneficiaries, why is the coverage limited, how are payments made, and why do so many people say they know no one who has benefited? 

These questions reveal a persistent trust gap between the government and the citizens the programme seeks to support.

I have seen this programme from the inside. Between 2017 and 2021, I worked with the National Cash Transfer Office and later the National Social Investment Office as a seconded staff from Save the Children, serving as a payment advisor under the leadership of Mrs. 

Maryam Uwais. They started the program from the hardest-to-reach communities, places with no banks, no electricity, and no mobile networks. 

In those days, payment was a major challenge  before they developed and  introduced an innovative offline QR code system, which later became part of the government’s full digital payment roadmap. 

It was very challenging but they laid the foundation that keeps evolving. 

A major reason for the programme’s limited coverage is Nigeria’s very low investment in social protection. The World Bank recently noted that the country spends just 0.14 per cent of its GDP on social protection, far below the global average of 1.5 per cent and the Sub-Saharan African average of 1.1 per cent. 

With such a small budget, the government focuses on the poorest of the poor. Enumeration begins at state, local government and ward levels, identifying the most vulnerable communities. Within these, a proxy means test determines which households are poorest and therefore eligible for payment.

 This is why some wards receive support while others wait .The limitation is largely financial, not political.

When citizens suspect ghost beneficiaries or irregularities, the most effective step is to engage their state’s social protection unit rather than the federal authorities. 

Calls for the Federal Government to publish the full list of beneficiaries overlook existing data protection laws. Just as a commercial bank cannot release the names of its customers, the government is also bound by confidentiality rules protecting beneficiary data.

Building trust, however, requires more than explanations. It demands visible openness, timely delivery, and a commitment to communicate results clearly. 

The Federal Government and its partners should publish accessible data on programme coverage, payments, and disbursements aggregated by ward or state, not by individual name. 

Local leaders, community groups and the media should be part of the targeting, verification and oversight process to reassure citizens that funds reach those most in need.

Timeliness is equally crucial. Nothing damages credibility faster than delayed or irregular payments. Beneficiaries must receive what they are promised, when they are promised it  and when delays occur, clear explanations should follow.

Communication should also focus on the human impact of the programme. Beyond figures, Nigerians need to see how the transfers improve lives, therefore  how a group of women in a remote village used their stipends to start a savings group, invest in a small farm or dig a community water well. 

Regular independent evaluation at the state level would further strengthen accountability. While most assessments have focused on the national programme, state-level reviews would provide deeper insights and help correct local inefficiencies. 

Over time, the programme could also differentiate support by location between urban / rural and household size, ensuring that rural poor families or larger households receive slightly higher stipends for greater impact.

Building public trust is  the central task while the program scales. . When citizens can see where funds go, how they are used, and what they achieve, confidence will grow and  the National Cash Transfer Programme truly becomes a symbol of inclusive growth and shared prosperity in Nigeria