The Nigerian Federal Government, through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, has deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to identify poor and vulnerable Nigerians, especially in rural communities, for inclusion in its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme.
Minister Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda revealed in an interview on Arise News that AI was used to analyze telephone data and other indicators to generate a verified list of beneficiaries. This approach has expanded the national social register from 13 million to 19.7 million people, now covering both rural and urban poor populations.
Since President Bola Tinubu directed that payments be made only to verified bank accounts, over 5.8 million households—nearly 29 million individuals have benefited from the CCT scheme within six months. The minister also noted that an additional 6.5 million urban poor were identified using satellite imagery and telecom data, then added to the register.
Yilwatda defended the N75,000 cash grant, stating that 18% of recipients have started small businesses with the funds, based on World Bank-supported research. The government aims to reach 15 million households, approximately 75 million Nigerians, through poverty alleviation programmes.
The use of AI and data-driven methods is part of the government’s effort to ensure transparency, accuracy, and effectiveness in targeting aid to the most vulnerable Nigerians.
