The Federal Government on Tuesday, unveiled a sweeping poverty reduction strategy aimed at lifting 50 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030 through a unified national framework tagged “One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS).”
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro said “We have been managing poverty, not ending it and it is time for a change”.
He added, “Nigeria does not lack interventions; Nigeria lacks systems. If we do not unify now, we are choosing to perish.”
The initiative comes amid worsening economic hardship, with official data showing that over 60 per cent of Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor.
The new system seeks to harmonise fragmented interventions across ministries, states, and development partners into a single coordinated framework.
If successfully implemented, the plan could reshape Nigeria’s social protection architecture by integrating humanitarian aid, long-term development, and economic inclusion.
However, concerns remain over execution, funding transparency, and whether past failures in policy implementation may undermine the ambitious target.
₦16tn gamble on poverty reduction
Under the framework, the government plans to mobilise about ₦16 trillion between 2026 and 2030, with contributions from the Federal Government, development partners, private sector investors, and global climate funds.
The plan also introduces innovative financing models such as social impact bonds, Islamic finance instruments, and carbon credit schemes.
Development partners, including the United Nations, described poverty in Nigeria as a humanitarian crisis rather than a gradual development issue, warning that over 30 million Nigerians face acute food insecurity.
The Statistician-General, Mr Adeyemi Adeniran, stressed that tackling poverty requires coordinated data systems and collaboration across all sectors, noting that no single institution can solve the crisis alone.
Background
Nigeria is currently grappling with one of its worst poverty and inflation crises in decades, exacerbated by subsidy removal, currency devaluation, and rising cost of living.
Previous poverty alleviation programmes have faced criticism over poor coordination, lack of transparency, and minimal impact, raising questions about whether the new initiative will deliver different results.
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