Senate Moves to Create Unified Welfare Agency to Tackle Worsening Poverty

 

The Senate, on Thursday, took a major step toward overhauling the country’s social protection framework as a bill seeking to establish a National Social Welfare Service passed second reading.

Sponsored by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) and seconded by Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), the bill proposes a centralised, data-driven system to coordinate welfare programmes and ensure interventions reach Nigerians most affected by extreme poverty.

Leading debate on the bill, Kalu said poverty remains pervasive despite years of scattered intervention efforts. He noted that Nigeria lacks a central institution capable of managing and tracking welfare initiatives with transparency, efficiency and precision.

Under the proposal, the National Social Welfare Service will operate as a department under the ministry responsible for humanitarian affairs, with offices across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to prevent interventions from being concentrated in Abuja alone.

The proposed agency will design and implement a broad range of programmes, including food and cash transfers, education stipends, housing support, agricultural subsidies, credit schemes and allowances for the elderly and persons living with disabilities.

A key feature of the bill is the establishment of safety centres nationwide to identify beneficiaries, deliver support and monitor outcomes. Kalu added that a national register of beneficiaries and graduates would be maintained to strengthen transparency and track long-term impact.

Eligibility criteria in the bill include households earning below N5,000 monthly, day labourers earning less than N3,000 per job, low-income artisans, subsistence farmers and residents of slum communities—measures the sponsor said would eliminate political interference and arbitrary selection.

The bill received overwhelming support from senators across party lines.

Senator Aliero praised the proposal as “revolutionary”, saying it would help the 10th Senate “write its name in gold” by addressing poverty, especially in rural areas.

Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South) said social protection programmes must be anchored on reliable data, while Senator Tahir Monguno (Borno North) noted that the bill promotes evidence-based planning similar to China’s data-driven poverty reduction model.

Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West) observed that many intervention programmes miss their targets due to poor coordination, describing the establishment of safety centres as “a right step in the right direction”.

Other senators, including Osita Ngwu (Enugu West), Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Sani Musa (Niger East) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), also endorsed the bill, stressing the need for accountability, updated data and a harmonised welfare structure.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin referred the bill to the Committee on Public Service Matters, with a directive to report back within four weeks.