Emmanuel OchayiThe World Bank’s report on the National Social Safety Nets Project has revealed that less than one percent of Nigeria’s poor and vulnerable population possess a National Identity Number (NIN), potentially excluding them from the Federal Government’s cash transfer program.
This digital divide, brought to light by the World Bank, raises critical questions about the accessibility of social safety nets for those in dire need.
Prime Business Africa reported that President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the disbursement of N25,000 to 15 million households for three months as a social safety net initiative, underlining the pressing need for an inclusive approach to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable citizens can access these critical funds.
As per the Implementation Completion and Results Report, the target was set at 20 percent of individuals registered in the National Social Registry having a valid NIN from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) by June 30, 2022.
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However, as of December 31, 2022, only 0.10 percent of the total poor and vulnerable Nigerians in the registry had obtained NIN.
According to the report, the slow expansion of the National ID system, beyond the program’s control, played a role in missing the target. The National Social Safety Nets Project had to resort to alternative means for verifying the identities of beneficiaries, leading to a realization that out of the 9,666,420 beneficiaries, only about 9,670 individuals possessed NIN.
The Federal Government is considering an overhaul of the National Social Register, with plans to disqualify those lacking both NIN and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN). If implemented, this move could potentially exclude around 9.66 million impoverished and vulnerable Nigerians from accessing the much-needed cash transfer program.
The NIN crisis has long plagued the country, despite over 100 million Nigerians linking their NIN with their SIM cards over three years. Delays and extortions have marred the NIN issuance process, with technical issues reported in the NIN verification portal throughout 2022.
To address these challenges, the Federal Government relocated the NIMC from the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to the Ministry of Interior.
The NIMC also introduced a self-service solution for NIN enrollment via smartphones, but its full implementation remains pending.
In 2016, Nigeria and the World Bank joined forces to establish the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to combat severe poverty and enhance social protection systems.
The World Bank extended its support by providing a $500 million credit, which was originally set to conclude in June 2022 but was later extended to December 2022 due to payment delays. Additionally, the World Bank has approved another $800 million to extend the program until 2024, making it a crucial element of the government’s fuel subsidy palliatives.
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