NASSCO SAYS 12.3 MILLION NIGERIANS ON SOCIAL REGISTER LINKED TO NIN
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By; Ganiyat Sunmola
The National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) has revealed that over 12.3 million Nigerians have been linked to the National Social Register through their National Identification Numbers (NIN) as part of efforts to improve transparency and accountability in the distribution of social intervention programmes.
The National Coordinator of NASSCO, Dr Funmi Olotu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a stakeholder engagement with local government chairmen themed, “Strengthening Local Government Leadership for Inclusive Development and Social Protection Delivery.”
Olotu explained that integrating the NIN into the National Social Register is aimed at improving data accuracy, removing duplicate entries, and ensuring that government support reaches the intended beneficiaries effectively.
She stated that the Federal Government is working towards building a more transparent and reliable social protection system in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to her, the National Social Register currently contains over 20 million households and more than 77 million individuals across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Providing updates on the integration process, Olotu said that across the 37 states and 774 local government areas, more than 9.7 million household records have been updated, with 12.3 million NINs captured and 11.5 million successfully validated.
She stressed that local governments play a critical role in the success of social protection programmes because of their close connection to grassroots communities.
“Local Governments are not merely administrative structures, but institutions of service delivery closest to the people,” she said.
Olotu urged local government chairmen to take ownership of the NIN integration exercise and ensure effective implementation at the community level.
Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Olubunmi Olusanya, described the National Social Register as a key component of Nigeria’s poverty reduction and humanitarian response framework.
He said the ministry is implementing a “One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System” to improve coordination and harmonise government interventions.
Olusanya noted that integrating NIN into the register would reduce duplication and strengthen the reliability of data used for planning and programme delivery.
He warned that without full NIN integration, many vulnerable Nigerians risk being excluded from government intervention programmes.
The stakeholder meeting was attended by local government chairmen, officials of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, development partners, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders involved in social protection programmes nationwide.
The Federal Government has in recent years intensified reforms aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency in social intervention programmes, with the NIN integration expected to enhance the credibility of the National Social Register.
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