The All Progressives Congress and opposition parties have clashed over the Federal Government’s $1bn Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project, with the opposition alleging that the initiative is designed to influence voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and National Democratic Congress, questioned the timing of the program, which was launched in Abuja on Wednesday amid growing political activities ahead of the elections.
However, the APC rejected the allegations, insisting that the initiative was a genuine effort by the Bola Tinubu administration to tackle poverty and provide sustainable economic support for vulnerable Nigerians.
The Federal Government said the program was designed to move Nigeria’s social protection system beyond short-term palliatives to sustainable economic empowerment and self-reliance.
Launched under the theme “From Palliatives to Pathways,” the initiative targets vulnerable households by improving beneficiary identification, providing immediate support during economic shocks, and creating pathways for households to graduate from poverty.
The program was unveiled by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who said the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration had made continued support for vulnerable Nigerians necessary.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, our nation is implementing far-reaching reforms to strengthen the economy and lay a solid foundation for sustainable growth and shared prosperity,” she said.
She added that many families continued to face difficulties despite the ongoing reforms, stressing that the HOPE-SP project would provide “immediate stabilization assistance” while placing vulnerable households on a path to recovery, empowerment, and self-reliance.
The Federal Government said the program would target about 7.6 million vulnerable households, with eligible beneficiaries expected to receive a one-off digital shock-response payment of N40,000. Beneficiaries are to be selected from the National Social Register and verified with their National Identification Numbers.
The launch also featured the unveiling of other components of the government’s new social protection architecture, including the One-Humanitarian-One Poverty Response System, the Emergency Cash Transfer Programme, and a ministerial blueprint for humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, said the government was moving away from fragmented interventions and reactive palliatives towards a system that would identify vulnerable households, assess their needs, and track their progress towards economic self-reliance.
He disclosed that more than N600bn had been disbursed in cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians over the past three years, reaching slightly more than 10m households.
However, opposition parties said the timing of the new intervention raised questions, particularly with the 2027 elections less than a year away.
