Delivering Conditional Cash Transfers to Nigeria's Poorest Households

About the Client

The National Cash Transfer Office is the federal agency that runs Nigeria’s Household Uplifting Programme. Working within the National Social Safety-Nets system launched with the World Bank in 2016, it delivers regular cash transfers and livelihood support to poor and vulnerable households selected from the national social register.

Challenge

More than 100 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, according to the World Bank. The Federal Government, through the National Cash Transfer Office, needed to deliver cash, products, and incentives to the poorest households, and to encourage education, immunisation, and family planning, including in riverine and hard-to-reach communities.

Solution

Softcom built a digital disbursement platform and ran it in more than four states. The system handled enrolment, identity verification, and payment, so support reached the right households. Community agents were hired and trained in each location, which created local jobs and trust.

Impact

• Over 190,000 beneficiaries received support
• Real-time tracking kept the programme accountable
• Local employment through community agent networks
• Better access to education, healthcare, and family welfare