The National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) has disclosed that more than 12.3 million Nigerians have so far been linked to the National Social Register through their National Identification Numbers (NIN) as part of efforts to strengthen transparency and credibility in the delivery of social interventions.
The National Coordinator of NASSCO, Dr. Funmi Olotu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a high-level stakeholder engagement with local government chairmen themed, “Strengthening Local Government Leadership for Inclusive Development and Social Protection Delivery.”
Olotu said the integration of NIN into the National Social Register was aimed at improving data integrity, eliminating duplication and ensuring that government interventions reached the right beneficiaries.
According to her, the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to build a more credible and accountable social protection system in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said, “To strengthen this foundation, we are integrating the National Identification Number into the Register. This reform enhances data integrity, eliminates duplication, and ensures that interventions reach the right people with precision and credibility.”
The NASSCO boss disclosed 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.
“At the centre of this effort is the National Social Register, a national platform designed to identify and support poor and vulnerable households across the country,” she said.
Providing an update on the exercise, Olotu said significant progress had already been recorded across the federation.
“Across 37 states and 774 Local Government Areas, covering 8,756 wards and 217,777 communities, over 9.7 million household records have been updated, with 12.3 million NINs captured and 11.5 million successfully validated,” she stated.
She stressed that effective social protection could not be driven solely from Abuja, noting that local governments remained critical to successful implementation because of their closeness to communities.
“Local Governments are not merely administrative structures, but institutions of service delivery, closest to the people and essential to translating policy into real outcomes in citizens’ lives,” Olotu said.
She urged local government chairmen to take ownership of the NIN integration process and ensure effective grassroots coordination.
“You are not just stakeholders in this process. You are the drivers of execution. You are closest to the communities, you understand the realities on the ground, and you are uniquely positioned to ensure effective implementation of the NIN integration process,” she added.
The Federal Government has in recent years intensified reforms aimed at strengthening the National Social Register amid concerns over transparency, targeting and accountability in social intervention programmes. The integration of NIN into the database is expected to improve the accuracy of beneficiary records and enhance the efficiency of poverty alleviation initiatives nationwide.
The PUNCH