In its November 2025 report titled “The State of Social Safety Nets in Nigeria”, the World Bank disclosed that only 44% of total benefits from government-funded social protection programs actually reach poor Nigerians The Punch YNaija Nairametrics. Despite billions of naira spent annually to cushion economic hardship, the report highlights that millions of vulnerable citizens remain unreached.
Key findings from the report include:
Only 19% of Nigerians are covered by any form of social safety-net program nigeriastartupact.ng
51% of the population—about 120 million people—lived in poverty in 2023, up from 84 million in 2019 nigeriastartupact.ng
Inflation surged from 24.6% in 2023 to 33.2% in 2024, worsening the cost-of-living crisis nigeriastartupact.ng
Digital cash-grant schemes targeting 15 million households are underway, but effectiveness remains uncertain The Punch
The report attributes the failures to poor targeting mechanisms, insufficient funding, and fragmented program delivery across federal and state levels. It warns that unless reforms are made, Nigeria’s social protection system will continue to fall short of its poverty-reduction goals.
The findings come amid rising public concern over economic inequality and the effectiveness of government interventions. Experts are calling for better data systems, transparent beneficiary selection, and stronger coordination between agencies.
