Minister Pushes Funding Drive to Lift 100 Million Nigerians Out of Poverty by 2029
Oru Leonard
Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, has called for increased funding and strategic partnerships to accelerate efforts aimed at lifting the country’s poorest citizens into sustainable economic livelihoods.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in Abuja, the Minister stressed that inadequate financing remains a major barrier to achieving the government’s ambitious target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2029.
Dr. Doro urged NESG to support the Ministry through independent costing and analytical research to strengthen the case for expanded social protection programmes. According to him, credible data and projections from reputable institutions would enhance policy backing and unlock greater funding opportunities.
Central to the Ministry’s reform agenda is the “One Humanitarian One Poverty Reduction System (OHOPRS),” a flagship initiative designed to eliminate fragmentation and duplication across humanitarian interventions nationwide. The system focuses on coordinated governance, unified national registers, a centralized data and AI analytics hub, structured poverty exit pathways, and a strengthened financing and monitoring framework.
The Minister noted that despite significant humanitarian and development funding inflows, poor coordination has limited impact, adding that the new framework would ensure transparency, efficiency, and measurable outcomes.
In response, NESG leader Seun Ojo reaffirmed the Group’s commitment to supporting inclusive economic growth through evidence-based policymaking. She highlighted NESG’s role as a dialogue partner, connector, accountability partner, and technical intervenor, emphasizing its long-standing collaboration with the government since 1993.
Also speaking, NESG’s Head of Research and Development, Dr. Joseph Ogebe, acknowledged recent macroeconomic gains, including improved GDP growth and stronger foreign reserves. He described the 2026–2029 period as a “consolidation phase,” urging intensified efforts to tackle inflation and accelerate reforms in key sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.
He commended the Ministry’s role in translating macroeconomic progress into tangible improvements in citizens’ livelihoods, stressing the importance of sustained collaboration between NESG and the government to achieve meaningful poverty reduction.
Cover Photo Caption: Group photograph with the Honourable Minister. Dr. Bernard M. Doro( middle) along the delegation from the Nigerian Economic Summit Group when they paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
