Nigeria has disbursed direct cash transfers to about nine million of its poorest households as part of ongoing social protection reforms, according to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.
The disclosure was made during the keynote address delivered at the IDA20 retrospective launch hosted by the World Bank Group, the Federal Ministry of Finance said in a statement shared on X.
The event, themed “Lessons from IDA20: Delivering Impact in Times of Crisis,” assessed outcomes from the twentieth replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA20), which mobilised $97.4 billion in concessional financing to support vulnerable economies, including Nigeria.
Addressing the country’s social protection strategy, Edun said digital reforms have expanded programme coverage, with more than 12 million Nigerians enrolled through integrated digital identification systems. Women account for nearly 60 percent of beneficiaries.
“Nine million poorest households have received direct cash transfers,” he said.
“When identification is secure and transparent, leakages decline, trust improves, and opportunity expands.”
Reflecting on the period when the programme began, the minister noted that IDA20 was introduced amid global economic challenges, including pandemic aftershocks, supply chain disruptions and rising food insecurity.
“Nigeria faced mounting pressure, but chose reform over retreat,” the minister said.
Edun highlighted key policy actions undertaken during the reform cycle, including exchange-rate unification, petrol subsidy removal and the discontinuation of deficit monetisation. He added that IDA’s development policy operations provided critical financial and technical support during implementation.
The minister further described Nigeria’s engagement with IDA as distinctive, noting that the country participates both as a beneficiary and as a contributing donor to the concessional financing pool.
According to him, the IDA20 framework demonstrates how coordinated development financing aligned with national priorities can improve policy coherence, reduce fragmentation and strengthen reform outcomes.
The government has continued to emphasise social safety nets and digital identification as central pillars of its reform agenda, aimed at cushioning vulnerable populations while advancing broader economic restructuring.
