The Federal Government has disclosed that more than 12.3 million Nigerians have been linked to the National Social Register through their National Identification Numbers as part of efforts to improve transparency and accountability in social intervention programmes.
The National Coordinator of the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office, Dr. Funmi Olotu, made the disclosure on Thursday during a stakeholder engagement with local government chairmen in Abuja.
The meeting focused on strengthening local government leadership for inclusive development and effective social protection delivery across the country.
According to Olotu, the integration of the National Identification Number into the National Social Register is aimed at improving data integrity, eliminating duplication and ensuring that government interventions reach genuine beneficiaries.
She explained that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and broader reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection system.
Olotu revealed that the National Social Register currently covers over 20 million households and more than 77 million individuals across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Providing an update on the ongoing exercise, she said over 9.7 million household records had been updated nationwide, while 11.5 million NINs had already been successfully validated.
She stressed that local governments remain critical to the success of the programme because of their direct connection to grassroots communities.
“Local Governments are not merely administrative structures, but institutions of service delivery closest to the people,” she said.
Olotu urged council chairmen to take ownership of the NIN integration process and ensure proper coordination at the community level.
Also speaking at the event, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Olubunmi Olusanya, described the National Social Register as a key pillar of Nigeria’s poverty reduction and humanitarian response framework.
He said the ministry was implementing a “One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System” aimed at harmonising government interventions and improving coordination among agencies.
Olusanya warned that millions of vulnerable Nigerians could be excluded from government intervention programmes if they fail to complete NIN integration.
He also emphasised the importance of local governments in ensuring the credibility, verification and effective delivery of social protection programmes.
The stakeholder engagement brought together local government chairmen, officials of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders involved in social protection initiatives nationwide.
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