12.3 Million Nigerians Linked to National Social Register

Dr. Funmi Olotu, the National Social Safety Net Coordinator (NASSCO), announced that 12.3 million Nigerians have been linked to the National Social Register via their National Identification Number (NIN).

This effort is part of a broader initiative to strengthen the transparency and credibility of social intervention delivery in Nigeria. During a high-level stakeholder engagement in Abuja, Olotu emphasized the importance of local government involvement in implementing social protection programs effectively.

The National Social Register currently covers 20 million households and 77 million individuals across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Olubunmi Olusanya, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Disaster Management, described the National Social Register as a critical pillar in Nigeria's poverty reduction strategy.

Both officials stressed the need for accurate data integration to ensure that government interventions reach the right beneficiaries and warned that millions of vulnerable Nigerians risk exclusion from these programs without full NIN integration.