The Federal Government (FG) and the Ondo State Government have begun a joint verification exercise to confirm the delivery of ₦9.9 billion in cash transfers to vulnerable households.
The move aimed at strengthening transparency and public trust in social welfare programmes.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa received the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, in Akure on Monday.
They stressed the importance of closer coordination between federal authorities and state-level structures that interact directly with beneficiaries.
Speaking during the visit, the governor disclosed that the South-West region had received about ₦62 billion under the Household Prosperity and Cash Transfer Programme.
In the state alone, 396,671 households had been enrolled and paid across three phases of the scheme.
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Rather than carrying out a blanket verification, the state opted for a targeted approach, engaging selected beneficiaries in all 18 local government areas to gather direct feedback on how the funds have impacted their lives.
Providing a national overview, the minister said the programme had reached over nine million households across the 36 states and the FCT.
Each beneficiary household receives ₦75,000, paid in three instalments, as part of efforts to cushion economic hardship among the poorest Nigerians.
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Incomplete data
Despite the scale of disbursement, Aiyedatiwa acknowledged lingering technical challenges, particularly around National Identification Number (NIN) registration.
He urged officials to step up efforts to help beneficiaries update their records, warning that incomplete data could disrupt payments.
Doro, on his part, pointed to a surprising gap between the programme’s reach and public awareness.
He explained that the ongoing field exercise in Ondo was designed not just to verify payments, but also to improve communication and refine future interventions.
According to him, the exercise will confirm that funds reached the intended recipients, close information gaps between the government and citizens, and feed into the redesign of Nigeria’s social protection framework.
The governor commended the minister for engaging directly with beneficiaries rather than relying solely on reports, noting that such on-the-ground interaction would deepen accountability.
He reiterated that effective governance requires alignment between federal and state actors, while also acknowledging the administration of Bola Tinubu for prioritising humanitarian support as part of efforts to stabilise vulnerable households.
The meeting drew senior state officials, including Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami and Chief of Staff Segun Omojuwa, underlining the level of commitment to ensuring the credibility and success of the validation exercise.
