The Federal Government is deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite technology to identify and support poor Nigerians living in urban slums, according to Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV’s *Prime Time*, Yilwatda revealed that AI has played a pivotal role in expanding the National Social Register, which now includes nearly 20 million individuals. Originally designed to capture the rural poor, the register has grown from 13 million to 19.7 million people, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to include the urban poor.
“To achieve this expansion, we used satellite imagery to map out urban slums, and then telecoms data—via base stations—to identify active mobile phone numbers in those areas,” the minister explained. “AI helped us verify and cross-reference these numbers using indicators like access to financial services, helping us generate an accurate list of the urban poor.”
This enhanced register now allows the government to implement more inclusive poverty alleviation programs, extending support to both rural and urban communities. Yilwatda noted that approximately 15 million households—roughly 75 million Nigerians—are being targeted with various interventions. With Nigeria having an estimated 43 million households, the coverage is substantial.
Addressing the country’s food crisis, Yilwatda stated that around 42 percent of Nigerians—about 80 million people or 20 million households—are experiencing food poverty. In response, the government is providing conditional cash transfers of N75,000 to 15 million households. While the amount may seem modest in urban areas, he said, it has a meaningful impact in rural communities.
Research conducted in collaboration with the World Bank and civil society organizations shows that 18 percent of recipients used the cash to start small businesses, 82 percent improved their food security, and 52 percent used the funds to pay school fees. “It’s not a complete solution, but it’s a meaningful cushion against hardship,” Yilwatda said.
Beyond immediate relief, the minister emphasized structural reforms for sustainable poverty reduction. These include a N1.5 trillion loan facility through the Aggregate Bank to support farmers and increase food production, as well as scholarship programs aimed at helping students remain in school despite economic pressures.
Yilwatda underscored a broader policy shift from short-term humanitarian aid to long-term poverty reduction strategies. “Poverty alleviation eases suffering, but poverty reduction lifts people out of hardship entirely,” he said. “Our focus is shifting from just distributing aid to implementing solutions that permanently change people’s lives.”
