Tinubu: 78% of beneficiaries of N330bn social protection funds in northern Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu says the northern region accounted for 78 percent of beneficiaries of the N330 billion given to 8.1 million households in Nigeria under the social protection programme.

Tinubu, represented by Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, spoke on Monday at the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit (NNIIS) 2025 in Abuja.

On September 17, the federal government said it disbursed up to N330 billion in direct cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households across the country as part of its revamped social protection programme.

The president said the funds are verifiable because each person is uniquely identified.

“There have been direct benefit transfers where over 330 billion Naira has been provided to our 8.1 million households,” Tinubu said.

“By this one tranche of the funds, 2.4 million households have received two, and 78% of the beneficiary households are in the north. And this is verifiable because each person is uniquely identified.”

Speaking further, he said Nigeria’s long-term prosperity is tied to the full development of northern Nigeria’s mining, agriculture, and power sectors.

The president also said recent reforms under his administration, including the removal of subsidies, foreign exchange unification, and fiscal restructuring, have created “record resources” for states and local governments, while stabilising the economy.

“In the second quarter of 2025, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23 percent, the strongest in a decade outside the COVID rebound era. Industrial growth doubled year-on-year, agriculture expanded, inflation has eased for five consecutive months to 20.12 percent, reserves are up to $42 billion, and the naira has stabilised,” he said.

“These results are not by chance. They are the outcome of deliberate policies to restore fiscal discipline, rebuild investor confidence and replace inefficiency with transparency.

“No longer is the playing field tilted to a privileged few, Nigeria now offers a level playing field for all investors.”

Tinubu said northern Nigeria holds the key to the country’s economic transformation, given its vast arable land, mineral deposits, and industrial potential.

“If we unlock the north’s minerals, we secure a new era of industrial competitiveness. If we unlock the north’s agriculture, we guarantee food security and global export leadership. If we unlock the north’s power, we ignite a wave of industrialisation that will employ millions,” he said.

The president added that his administration is committed to supporting states with infrastructure projects such as the Sokoto–Badagry highway, irrigation dams, and energy corridors to connect agro-industrial hubs to markets and ports.

Tinubu added that the future of Nigeria’s prosperity is inseparable from the future of northern Nigeria, as the region is not just a part of the country, “it is the engine of the country”.

The summit, themed ‘Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture and Power,’ was convened by the Northern Elders Forum with the participation of governors, ministers, private sector leaders, and development partners.