The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to identify and support poor and vulnerable individuals in rural communities. This initiative, spearheaded by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, aims to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of poverty alleviation programs across the country.
Speaking in a recent interview, Minister Yilwatda emphasized the importance of leveraging AI to expand the National Social Register, ensuring that government interventions reach those most in need. “To help someone, you must first know them. You can’t support people you can’t identify,” he stated.
The AI-driven approach utilizes satellite imagery, telecoms data, and financial access indicators to pinpoint individuals living in extreme poverty. This method has already enabled the government to increase the social register from 13 million to 19.7 million people, incorporating both rural and urban poor.
As part of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, the government has disbursed ₦75,000 per household, benefiting over 5.8 million households—equivalent to nearly 29 million individuals—within the last six months. Research conducted in collaboration with the World Bank revealed that 18% of recipients have successfully started small businesses, while 82% have used the funds to improve food security.