Atiku Abubakar Critiques FG's Cash Transfer Scheme

Atiku Abubakar, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, criticized the Federal Government of Nigeria's Cash Transfer Scheme, highlighting inconsistencies in reported beneficiary figures. On July 16, 2026, the Presidency claimed that 15 million vulnerable households had received cash transfers, a figure reiterated on August 2, 2026.

However, on August 26, 2026, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs stated that only "slightly over 10 million households" had been reached, raising questions about the missing five million households. Atiku pointed out that if 10 million households received the full payment of ₦75,000, the total expenditure would be around ₦750 billion, yet the government reported spending just over ₦600 billion.

He criticized the government's approach to poverty, stating that it should focus on reducing the economic pressures that lead to vulnerability rather than merely providing cash transfers. Atiku proposed a targeted intervention in the domestic petroleum value chain to lower fuel and transportation costs, aiming to prevent families from falling into poverty.