By Yussuph Al-Bashir

The Nigerian government has distributed ₦25,000 in conditional cash transfers to 25 million Nigerians, according to Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Speaking to State House Correspondents on Thursday after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Edun outlined steps the administration has taken to provide relief following the hardships brought about by the removal of subsidies and other policy changes.

“President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to easing the challenges Nigerians face due to recent reforms,” Edun emphasized. He detailed that five million households have directly benefited from the cash transfer initiative aimed at providing financial support.

Additionally, Edun disclosed that 11,000 Nigerians have accessed ₦3.5 billion from the consumer credit scheme in just the past five days. “This scheme is part of our broader plan to empower citizens economically,” he added.

Edun also reported progress in supporting Nigerian students through a loan program, sharing that over ₦90 billion has been disbursed to half a million students so far.

Meanwhile, the NEC meeting brought attention to the devastating toll of recent floods, which have claimed 321 lives across 34 states.

Anambra State Governor Professor Charles Soludo, who briefed reporters after the meeting, said, “More than 1.2 million people have been displaced, with over one million homes affected by the floods.”The impact on agriculture has also been severe.

“Thousands of farmlands have been washed away,” Soludo noted, adding that the NEC expressed its condolences to those affected and urged swift action to provide relief.

The government, Soludo assured, is working on measures to support the displaced and to mitigate the impacts of such disasters in the future.