The Business NG - September 19, 2025

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Editorial Focus: Transparency in Social Spending

The Federal Government’s claim of disbursing ₦330 billion to 8.5 million poor and vulnerable households has ignited more scepticism than trust. With funds drawn from a World Bank facility, officials insist payments were made directly into beneficiaries’ accounts or mobile wallets. Yet, the absence of verifiable evidence leaves Nigerians unconvinced.

At its core, this is a crisis of credibility. In a country where poverty levels remain staggering, the ability of government to provide relief is not in doubt—but its willingness to prove that such interventions are real, effective, and fairly distributed is. When citizens openly question the existence of 34 million supposed beneficiaries, government must recognise that transparency is as critical as the cash itself.

The solution is simple: publish verifiable data, establish independent monitoring, and make beneficiaries visible. Without this, social intervention programmes risk being dismissed as political theatre rather than lifelines for the poor.

Trust is the currency of governance. Until it is restored, no figure—₦330 billion or more—will convince Nigerians that their government is truly on their side.