Tinubu To Expand Cash Transfer Programme Beyond 10 Million Households

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to expand the Federal Government’s targeted cash transfer programme beyond the 10 million households it has reportedly reached, as part of efforts to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

The President said the government would sustain its economic reforms while strengthening social protection programmes to ensure that more citizens benefit from the gains of economic growth.

Tinubu made the commitment while responding to the World Bank’s October 2026 Nigeria Development Update, according to a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

“We will continue to expand targeted cash transfers, which have already reached more than 10 million households,” the President was quoted as saying.

He added that the Federal Government would intensify efforts to promote the use of compressed natural gas (CNG), boost agricultural productivity and improve access to affordable healthcare and quality education.

Tinubu acknowledged that more needed to be done to translate the gains of economic reforms into improved living conditions, particularly through lower food prices and the creation of decent employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

The World Bank report, titled Beyond the Federal Purse: How Higher Revenues Reshaped State Priorities, stated that Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, compared with 3.9 per cent recorded during the corresponding period of 2025.

The report also indicated that the country’s poverty rate had stabilised for the first time since 2019, while projecting that economic growth would average at least 4.4 per cent between 2026 and 2028.

According to the World Bank, reforms introduced since 2023 contributed to a 69 per cent increase in federation revenues in real terms between 2023 and 2025, with state governments emerging as the biggest beneficiaries.

The Federal Government’s planned expansion of the cash transfer programme is expected to complement other social protection measures aimed at cushioning the effects of economic reforms on vulnerable households.

However, the President stressed the need for sustained efforts to ensure that economic growth translates into tangible benefits for ordinary Nigerians.