The Benue State Government has reported a rise in the number of poor and vulnerable individuals listed in its social register, which has now reached 1.7 million.
Professor Jerome Andohol, Director General of the State Budget and Economic Planning Commission, disclosed this on Monday during a three-day training session for desk officers, grievance redress officers, and enumerators.
The training aimed at updating the State Social Register while integrating the National Identity Number (NIN).
Andohol noted that the current administration inherited a register with 1.6 million individuals and has since expanded it.
“When this administration took office, there were 417,743 Poor and Vulnerable Households (PVHHs), totaling 1,661,039 individuals. That number has since grown, with PVHHs increasing to 496,993 and individuals reaching 1,746,411,” he stated.
Since Governor Hyacinth Alia assumed office, 79,250 more households and 85,372 individuals have been added to the register.
Andohol also highlighted challenges in the Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program, stating that many beneficiaries faced difficulties accessing funds due to incorrect account details and the absence of unique identifiers.
“To resolve this issue, the Federal Government now requires all beneficiaries in the social register to link their account details with their NIN,” he explained.
He stressed the importance of the current exercise, which trains enumerators on integrating NIN with beneficiaries’ account details to ensure those without linked NINs update their records.
“This initiative is essential to ensuring that our people benefit from the Federal Government’s palliative measures aimed at mitigating the effects of fuel subsidy removal. It also promotes financial inclusion and reduces reliance on cash transactions,” he added.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, represented by Deputy Governor Sam Ode, emphasized the significance of NIN integration, calling it a crucial tool for national identity and a means to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of social welfare programs.
“Incorporating NIN into the Social Register is not merely a technical adjustment; it is a step toward making social welfare programs more inclusive and effective, in line with the vision of the Tinubu-led administration,” he stated.
Timiyeyin Ayodele-Ozoya, Head of Communications at the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), reiterated the importance of the State Social Register, describing it as a central database for targeted social safety net programs.
The three-day training was organized by the Benue State Government through the State Operation Coordinating Unit and the Benue State Budget and Economic Planning Commission, in partnership with NASSCO and the National Identity Management Commission.