Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, has revealed that the federal government is now using artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data tools to identify and support impoverished Nigerians, especially in urban slums.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV Prime Time on Friday, Yilwatda stated that the national social register—a key tool for targeting anti-poverty programmes—has expanded from 13 million to 19.7 million individuals, now including both rural and urban poor.
“To help someone, you must first know them. You can’t support people you can’t identify. That’s why we started by validating the social register,” Yilwatda explained.
How AI is Powering Poverty Reduction in Nigeria
According to the minister, the federal government, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, has incorporated AI, satellite imagery, telecom data, and financial access records to locate and verify Nigerians living in urban poverty.
“We used satellite imagery to locate urban slums, then base stations and telecoms data to identify phone numbers in those locations,” he said.
“AI helped us generate a list of urban poor individuals by verifying those numbers, their access to financial services, and other indicators.”
This technological upgrade has made the social register more inclusive and reliable, covering both rural and urban communities for the first time.
Reaching 75 Million Nigerians with Anti-Poverty Programmes
The minister stated that the federal government is targeting 15 million households—about 75 million Nigerians, nearly 35% of the country’s population.
With an average household size of five, the government’s goal is to deliver conditional cash transfers and other forms of support directly to vulnerable citizens.
“We’re reaching about 75 million people. That’s over 75% of Nigeria’s food-poor population,” Yilwatda added.
N75,000 Cash Transfer Boosts Food Security and Microbusinesses
Each eligible household receives ₦75,000, a sum that, while modest in urban settings, is having significant impact in rural areas. Yilwatda noted:
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18% of recipients used the money to start nano or small-scale businesses
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82% spent it on improving food security
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52% used it to pay children’s school fees
These figures were based on joint research by the World Bank and local civil society organisations.
Government Tackles Structural Poverty Beyond Aid
Yilwatda emphasized that Nigeria’s anti-poverty focus has shifted from temporary humanitarian relief to long-term poverty reduction strategies.
Key initiatives include:
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Student scholarships to support continued education for those below the poverty line.
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₦1.5 trillion in agricultural loans through the aggregate bank to boost farming and food security.
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Stabilization of food inflation, ensuring better affordability of basic necessities.
“Poverty alleviation reduces the pain; poverty reduction moves people out of poverty entirely,” the minister stressed.