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Coalition Lauds Tinubu’s Cash Transfer Programme

The Nigerian Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (NCCSO) has commended the recent flag-off of the National Cash Transfer Programme by President Bola Tinubu-led administration over its poverty reduction potentials.
The commendation came during a press conference addressed by the leader of NCCSO, Abimbola Ademola on Tuesday in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, Ademola stated that the civil society groups welcome the Federal Government unwavering resolve to tackle poverty through the “Renewed Hope Cash Transfer”, while backing the National Cash Transfer Office under the leadership of the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu to deliver on the initiative.
The Coalition stressed that the National Cash Transfer Programme will help the poor develop savings skills and ultimately reduce poverty, while urging the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation not to relent in doing the right thing.
Part of the statement read: “We want to express our joy and happiness in the transparency thus far, we also encourage Dr. Edu to keep up the good works as we are satisfied with her hard work and achievements.
“President Bola Tinubu’s initiation of the Renewed Hope Cash Transfer Programme is highly commendable as the Programme has successfully credited about 2.6 million Nigerians with N25,000, through their bank accounts. These Nigerians, though extremely poor, previously had no bank accounts to enable them to benefit from the programme. These nearly three million Nigerians will receive additional N25,000 for two months totaling N75, 000. They are representatives of poor and vulnerable households identified through the National Social Register.
“The National Cash Transfer Office under the able leadership of Dr. Beta Edu, the Minister for Humanitarian affairs and Poverty Alleviation aims to reach 15 million poor and vulnerable households, with cash transfers of 25 thousand Naira monthly for three months, under the renewed hope conditional cash transfer program of Mr President.
“This is being done in a phased approach of 5 million households per month. The National Cash Transfer Program has also made a breakthrough as it was able to validate existing poor vulnerable household data from the National Social Register, through its ongoing beneficiary enrolment process. The office is currently in the hinterland of Nigeria’s rural areas, physically identifying these poor individuals, who have largely been unbanked and have also been without any form of telecommunications exposure.
“They are enrolling them into a beneficiary register with its vast network of about 10,000 cash transfer facilitators, spread across every ward of the federation, doing physical identification and engagements with these vulnerable individuals to ensure that only the poorest of the poor benefit from the National Cash Transfer Programme.
“This in itself is a huge task because it helps identify new Nigerians that had previously been left behind in the planning process of this country, bringing them into the forefront of Nigeria’s resource allocation initiatives.
“All these and more are being midwifed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs under the leadership of Dr. Betta Edu through the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office, initiatives conceived under the National Social Safety Net Programme, which is a poverty mapping and alleviation collaboration between the Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Finance and the World Bank
“All in the bid to create financial access for these beneficiaries, and alleviate the interim hardships emanating from Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms.
“The funds are transferred directly into the beneficiary bank accounts, from the accounts of the Cash Transfer Office in the CBN, without any intermediary funds warehousing as promised by Mr President.
“The Cash Transfer Office is also ensuring that all beneficiaries have BVN or NIN generated for them, as directed by the CBN, which further strengthens Nigeria’s ability to identify and plan for the well-being of its vast number of citizens.
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PANDEF Clarifies Visit To Tinubu, Knocks Wike Over Inflammatory Comments

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to retract his publicly disparaging remarks made recently against the socio-political body.
PANDEF described as regrerrable and embarrassing comments by Wike in the aftermath of the group’s visit to Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, even to the extent of insulting the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin.
Recall that the FCT minister had, on Thursday, during a media chat, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.
In a statement signed by PANDEF Chairman on Saturday in Abuja, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, urged President Tinubu as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent.
Igali clarified that the meeting with the president provided a valuable platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance. Adding that “PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region.”
His words: ^To set the record straight, PANDEF the foremost socio-political body representing the South-South regions, composed of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished personalities. The delegation to Mr. President included chairpersons of at least four of the six SouthSouth states’ traditional councils, senior traditional rulers of major ethnic groups, former governors, past presiding officers of the Senate, prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and high-ranking retired military officers.
“It is, therefore, highly regrettable and totally unacceptable that a serving minister in the Federal Government would exhibit such brazen disrespect towards individuals of this standing. This attitude perhaps explains his continued refusal of the Minister to engage with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which PANDEF constituted as far back as October 2024, despite repeated attempts to reach.
“The Honourable Minister (Wike) characterized PANDEF as the worst organization ever” and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favors. These statements are not only false but also unbecoming of a public official of his stature.
“PANDEF hereby calls upon Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent Nigerians and traditional rulers who were, after all, esteemed guests of the Commander-in-Chief. It is apt to remind that the Minister does not own the Niger-Delta and his errant conduct should not be condoned.
“Notwithstanding this regrettable development, PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region,” Igali stated.
On efforts to restore peace in River State, Igali restated PANDEF’s commitment for peace in the oil-rich State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which remains committed to resolving the Rivers State crisis,” Igali stated.
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