ABUJA: The Senate has taken a major step toward reducing extreme poverty in Nigeria after passing the Social Welfare Service Bill through second reading.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, aims to strengthen and unify all existing welfare and poverty-reduction programmes across the country.
Senator Kalu explained that despite several interventions over the years, millions of Nigerians still struggle to access basic necessities because there is no central and data-driven system to manage welfare programmes.
If passed into law, the bill will create a Social Welfare Service Department under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, with offices in all 36 states and the FCT ensuring welfare support reaches people at the grassroots, not just Abuja.
The proposed Service would handle key programmes such as:
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Food and cash transfers
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Education stipends
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Housing support
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Subsidies for small farmers
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Soft credit schemes
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Allowances for the elderly and persons with disabilities
A major highlight is the creation of Safety Centres nationwide and a national register to track beneficiaries and ensure transparency.
The bill also sets strict eligibility criteria, targeting households earning below ₦5,000 monthly, day laborers surviving on less than ₦3,000 per job, low-income artisans, subsistence farmers, and residents of slum communities’ measures meant to prevent political favoritism.
Lawmakers backed the bill unanimously, saying it will reduce corruption, close leakages, and make social welfare more effective.
The bill has now been forwarded to the Committee on Public Service, which is expected to present its report in four weeks.
