Bernard Doro’s Poverty Alleviation Agenda

Since he was named the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro has been relatively quiet. That could be about to change.

That is, unless the minister has no plans to ease the pain of the poor during the election period through social welfare programmes similar to those implemented by the ruling APC in 2019.

The ministry itself has been inactive after the saga involving Beta Edu, his predecessor in office, and Halima Shehu, who headed the National Social Investment Programme Agency.

But as Nigeria’s next election cycle begins, the pace of announcements, interventions, and public engagements by the ministry NSIPA appears to be increasing.

Across the social protection landscape, the government is presenting a renewed emphasis on cash transfers, grants, livelihood support, school feeding, and programmes targeting vulnerable households.

That is, even though the ministry and NSIPA have made no detailed response or offered fixes identified by the Office of the Auditor General, as much as N33.75bn in electronic cash transfers did not reach the intended beneficiaries.

With the three different budgets being run by the APC government, trillions of naira could be made available for millions of households just before the January 2027 presidential election. The 2026 budget alone has interventions worth N206bn.

Even though they are World Bank-assisted, the government launched programmes worth $3.5bn in July, including $1.25bn for NG-CARES, $300 million for SOLID, and $1.5bn for the HOPE package.

The stated objective of many of these interventions is to move beneficiaries beyond emergency relief towards more sustainable economic opportunities. The timing, however, is likely to attract public scrutiny.

Government officials insist that the programmes are part of an established social protection agenda rather than electoral initiatives.

At the same time, the increased visibility of beneficiaries, public ceremonies, and new promises as the country approaches elections raises questions.

How will Nigerians distinguish between genuine policy implementation and activities driven by political considerations?

Nigeria’s poverty and humanitarian needs extend far beyond election cycles. Communities affected by displacement, food insecurity, and unemployment require programmes that continue regardless of the political calendar.

As activities gather momentum, civil society organisations, opposition parties, development partners, and citizens are likely to pay closer attention to the figures: how many people are reached, where beneficiaries are located, how funds are disbursed, and what changes occur after assistance is received.

Ultimately, the approaching elections provide a test not necessarily of political intentions, but of institutional transparency and continuity.

If the programmes are genuinely designed as long-term social protection measures, their success will be measured not by the number of launches or promises made before an election, but by whether beneficiaries continue to receive meaningful support after the political season has passed.