The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to people-centred social protection policies, stressing that poverty reduction programmes must be measured by their real impact on citizens rather than by statistics alone.
This assurance was given by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro on Thursday, during a stakeholder and beneficiary engagement session on the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Cash Transfer (HoPE CT) programme held at the Ahiajoku Convention Centre in Owerri, Imo State.
The event brought together beneficiaries, traditional rulers, development partners, government officials, community leaders and other stakeholders to evaluate the impact of the programme and provide direct feedback to policymakers.
Speaking at the gathering, Doro said the federal government remains committed to strengthening social protection systems through transparency, accountability and continuous engagement with beneficiaries.
He explained that the engagement formed part of a nationwide initiative aimed at obtaining first-hand information on programme implementation while giving beneficiaries an opportunity to share their experiences and challenges directly with government officials.
According to the minister, effective leadership requires maintaining a close connection with the people and understanding how government interventions affect their daily lives.
“Leadership must remain connected to impact. Reports and statistics are important, but there is no substitute for hearing directly from the people whose lives these interventions are designed to improve,” he said.
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Doro disclosed that Imo State has recorded substantial participation under the HoPE CT programme, with 278,727 households across the state’s 27 local government areas benefiting from cash transfer support worth more than ₦6.6 billion.
He noted that beyond assessing numerical achievements, the government was interested in understanding the realities behind the figures, identifying implementation gaps and collecting recommendations that could improve future policy decisions and programme delivery.
The minister assured participants that concerns and suggestions raised during the engagement would be incorporated into ongoing reviews aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the programme and expanding its reach to more vulnerable Nigerians.
