The Federal Government of Nigeria is harnessing cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), satellite imagery, and telecommunications data, to identify impoverished Nigerians living in urban slums.
This initiative, led by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, marks a significant shift in the country’s social welfare strategy—broadening its focus from rural communities to include the urban poor.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News Channel’s PrimeTime Show on Friday, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, outlined the government’s innovative approach to poverty identification and intervention.
He explained that the use of AI and geospatial technology has significantly enhanced the National Social Register (NSR), which previously concentrated on rural populations.
“To help someone, you must first know them. You can’t support people you can’t identify. That’s why we started by validating the social register,” Yilwatda emphasized.
According to the minister, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave a clear directive for the expansion of the social register to include the urban poor. In response, the Ministry deployed advanced tools and techniques to accurately map and validate impoverished populations in Nigeria’s cities.
“We used satellite imagery to locate urban slums, then base stations and telecoms data to identify phone numbers in those locations,” Yilwatda explained. “AI helped us generate a list of urban poor individuals by verifying those numbers, their access to financial services, and other socio-economic indicators.”
This data-driven approach has yielded significant results. The National Social Register has expanded from 13 million to 19.7 million individuals.
The government’s target, Yilwatda said, is to reach 15 million households—equating to an estimated 75 million Nigerians—with various poverty alleviation programs.
“Nigeria has around 43 million households. We’re targeting 15 million with these interventions. Multiply that by an average household size of five, and we’re reaching about 75 million people,” he noted.
Dr. Yilwatda further emphasized the importance of differentiating between various types of poverty, particularly food poverty and multidimensional poverty.
While food poverty pertains specifically to lack of sufficient nutrition, multidimensional poverty encompasses broader deprivations such as limited access to education, healthcare, clean water, and financial inclusion.
“Food poverty affects roughly 42% of the population,” the minister said. “If you take 42% of 200 million Nigerians, that’s about 80 million people. Divided by an average household size of five, you arrive at nearly 20 million households.”
To tackle these challenges, the government has implemented a series of targeted interventions. Among them is the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, through which 15 million food-poor households are currently receiving direct financial support. Each household receives a total of ₦75,000, which, while modest by urban standards, provides substantial relief in rural communities.
“I know ₦75,000 might seem insignificant to someone living in the city,” he acknowledged. “But in rural areas, it makes a difference.”
The effectiveness of these cash transfers has been evaluated through collaborative research with the World Bank and various civil society organizations.
The findings are encouraging: 18% of beneficiaries used the funds to start nano or small-scale businesses, 82% improved their household food security, and 52% used the money to pay school fees for their children.
“So, while this is not their sole source of income, it is a meaningful supplement that helps cushion the impact of poverty,” the minister explained.
However, Dr. Yilwatda made it clear that financial support alone is not sufficient. He highlighted that the Federal Government is also implementing structural measures to foster long-term resilience and reduce dependency.
One such measure is the introduction of a ₦1.5 trillion agricultural loan scheme managed by the Aggregate Bank, aimed at empowering farmers and boosting food production.
Additionally, scholarships have been introduced for students from low-income households to ensure access to education—a key pillar in the fight against multidimensional poverty.
“The cost of food this year has stabilized, and food inflation has reduced. The government has introduced several measures to address this,” Yilwatda stated.
Importantly, the minister underscored a paradigm shift in the government’s approach—from temporary humanitarian relief to sustained poverty eradication.
While past efforts focused primarily on emergency interventions such as food distribution and short-term cash handouts, the current administration is prioritizing sustainable development and economic empowerment.
“Poverty alleviation reduces the pain; poverty reduction moves people out of poverty entirely,” he said. “Until now, the focus was mainly on humanitarian interventions, relief materials, food distribution, and cash transfers. But that’s not enough. We’re shifting towards actually reducing poverty.”
The Federal Government’s use of advanced technologies such as AI, satellite mapping, and telecoms data reflects a more strategic and inclusive approach to poverty reduction.
By identifying and supporting both rural and urban poor populations and coupling short-term aid with long-term development measures, the administration is laying the groundwork for a more resilient and equitable society.