During the 2023 International Workers' Day celebrations in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Chris Ngige, announced that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari pays N10,000 bi-monthly to 1.6 million impoverished households as a measure to alleviate citizens' suffering.

The Minister stated that the National Social Investment Programme, launched by President Buhari in 2016, is the biggest programme of its kind in Africa and one of the largest globally. The National Social Register of Poor and Vulnerable Nigerians (NSR) now has 32.6 million persons from over 7 million households, which are recognized across 708 Local Government areas, 8,723 wards and 86,610 communities in all 36 states of the country, including the FCT.

According to him, out of the 1.6 million poor and vulnerable households identified in the NSR, which includes over 8 million people in 45,744 communities from 5,483 wards of 557 LGAs in 35 states and the FCT, currently benefit from the Conditional Cash Transfer programme. This initiative pays a bimonthly stipend of N10,000 per household.

Ngige also mentioned that the government is committed to improving the living conditions of Nigerians. He specifically highlighted the National Social Housing scheme, which is implemented by the Family Homes Fund Limited, incorporated by the Federal Government of Nigeria in September 2016.

Under this scheme, the Buhari Administration has received over 2,000 hectares of land with titled documents from 24 states. This land can accommodate around 65,000 new homes as part of the Social Housing program.

He mentioned that the National Social Housing program provides Nigerians with a minimum of 15 years to pay for each housing unit, with a monthly payment at a six per cent interest rate. The Central Bank of Nigeria guarantees a N200 billion financing facility provided under this program by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to him, workers from states such as Enugu, Nassarawa, Delta, and Kano have benefited from this scheme.