The Federal Government on Wednesday launched the National Poverty Intelligence Hub, a data-driven platform designed to strengthen the targeting, monitoring, and evaluation of poverty-reduction programmes, as it seeks to address the plight of an estimated 140 million Nigerians living below the poverty line.

The initiative, unveiled by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, is expected to serve as the central intelligence and evidence-gathering hub for the government’s anti-poverty interventions.

Speaking at the opening of a three-day workshop on the operationalisation of the lab in Abuja, Doro said the country could no longer rely on assumptions and fragmented interventions in tackling poverty.

According to him, Nigeria’s poverty challenge requires a new approach anchored on data, evidence and accountability.

“Recent estimates indicate that approximately 140 million Nigerians live below the poverty line. The scale and depth of the challenge is staggering, but it is surmountable,” the minister said.

“What this moment demands is not more of the same. It demands systems, intelligence, evidence-driven leadership and, above all, coordinated and accountable action.”

The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction in partnership with Innovations for Poverty Action.

Doro described the National Poverty Intelligence Lab as the “intelligence backbone” of Nigeria’s poverty reduction architecture, saying it would provide the analytical support needed for policy formulation, programme implementation, resource allocation and performance assessment.

“For many years, our interventions have been driven by assumptions rather than evidence, sometimes by politics rather than data, and by silos rather than systems,” he said.

“The NPIL changes that. It gives us the analytical infrastructure to ask the right questions, find credible answers and hold ourselves accountable for results.”

The minister explained that the lab would support the implementation of the One Humanitarian One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), a framework developed by the ministry to harmonise humanitarian assistance, social protection programmes and poverty reduction initiatives under a unified structure.

According to him, the objective is to ensure that government interventions are coordinated and capable of permanently lifting vulnerable households out of poverty.

“Every household we reach through OHOPRS is a household we intend to graduate from vulnerability—not just today but permanently. That is the ambition. And the NPIL is the engine that will tell us whether we are getting there,” he added.

Doro said the establishment of the lab represented more than a technological innovation, describing it as a governance and accountability reform that would improve transparency and effectiveness in poverty reduction efforts.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to implementing sustainable measures aimed at improving the living conditions of Nigerians.

Earlier, the Country Representative of Innovations for Poverty Action, Mrs. Fumi Ayeni, said the collaboration with the ministry would help policymakers better understand the needs of poor and vulnerable populations while reducing duplication in intervention programmes.

“Getting people out of poverty starts with everybody. This collaboration will help policymakers build a legacy that can significantly reduce poverty in Nigeria,” she said.

Ayeni noted that the workshop would provide stakeholders with an opportunity to develop strategies for designing and implementing more impactful poverty reduction initiatives.

Also speaking, the Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister on Information Systems and Data Analysis, Dr. Abimbola Fasanu, stressed the importance of reliable data in shaping public policy.

“Data is not just a bureaucratic requirement but a strategic national asset. Globally, government policies and programmes are informed by data,” she said.

She explained that the initiative would enable government agencies and development partners to make informed decisions and measure the impact of interventions more effectively.

Fasanu added that the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Data Systems Diagnostic Exercise being undertaken by the ministry would identify institutional strengths, expose gaps and provide a roadmap for building an integrated national evidence system.

Nigeria has continued to grapple with rising poverty despite decades of government intervention programmes. Over the years, successive administrations have introduced initiatives such as the National Poverty Eradication Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer schemes, the National Social Investment Programme, N-Power and various humanitarian support projects aimed at reducing poverty and improving livelihoods.

However, concerns have persisted over poor coordination, inadequate data, weak monitoring systems and the inability to accurately identify beneficiaries, leading to questions about the effectiveness of many interventions.

The launch of the National Poverty Intelligence Lab comes amid increasing pressure on the government to address worsening economic conditions, high inflation, unemployment and the rising cost of living affecting millions of households across the country.

Officials say the new platform is intended to bridge longstanding data gaps and ensure that poverty reduction policies are guided by credible evidence, measurable outcomes and real-time intelligence.

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The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has defended the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, saying he does not personally see the level of hunger often highlighted in public discourse.

Speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, Onanuga argued that several government programmes and infrastructure projects are already delivering benefits to citizens across the country.

He cited improvements in road infrastructure as one of the visible outcomes of the administration’s policies, recounting a recent trip from Ibadan to Lagos.

He said, “One day, I was travelling from Ibadan to Lagos, and Google Maps told me that there’s a go-slow in the approach to Lagos, and I decided to take Ijebu-Ode via Shagamu.

“What struck me most was that I just found myself on a paved road, a concrete road. I said, ‘Wow, when was this one built?’”

According to him, residents in the area have reacted positively to the development.

“I found that our people, I mean, our Ijebu people, have stopped complaining. I said, ‘Oh, no wonder they now have a brand new road that’s not just an asphalt road, a concrete road,’” he added.

The presidential spokesman also pointed to the ongoing coastal highway project, which he said has eased movement for many commuters, including himself.

“I live in Ajah. Anytime I go to Lagos, and I ask Google Maps to tell me how soon I will get home, Google Maps will tell me one hour, seven minutes. Before, it was two hours, 30 minutes, and the reason for that is that we now have a coastal road that has shortened my travel time,” he said.

Questioning criticisms of government performance, he added, “Is that not beneficial? What are people talking about, really?”

Onanuga further highlighted the Federal Government’s student loan initiative and access to low-interest credit facilities for workers as examples of policies aimed at easing financial pressures on Nigerians.

“If you are a parent and you have four children in university, and they’re able to access federal loans, which are interest-free, are they not benefiting?

“If you are a civil servant and you can access the credit card, a very cheap loan at below interest, it is about seven per cent. Now people can access that loan at a single digit. Are they not benefiting as well?” he asked.

He maintained that public conversations about the economy often overlook some of the gains recorded by the administration.

“We have been pigeonholed into certain assumptions, certain conclusions,” he said.

Onanuga also recalled a viral video from the early days of the Tinubu administration, which featured a voice-over suggesting widespread hunger among Nigerians.

“I think the President went to Lagos, he was coming from the Central Mosque, and somebody now did a voice-over saying ‘Ebi n pawa o,’ and that means we are hungry. Since then, people have been saying that,” he said.

While acknowledging that Nigerians face economic difficulties, the presidential aide said his personal interactions with people around him do not reflect the level of hardship frequently portrayed in public discussions.

“I’m a Nigerian. I have people working for me privately. I don’t see the level of hunger people are talking about because I see them, and I keep asking them questions: how are things, how are they adjusting, what are the problems?” he said.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, has dismissed claims that the President vowed not to seek re-election if he failed to significantly improve electricity supply in the country.

PUNCH Online recalls that Tinubu, during a business luncheon in December 2022 ahead of the 2023 presidential election, said, “If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me.”

Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, Onanuga said the President’s remarks on power sector reforms had been misrepresented, insisting that Tinubu’s statement was conditional and not an outright pledge to forgo a second term.

According to him, critics often quote only a portion of the President’s remarks while ignoring the context in which they were made.

When asked whether the President had promised not to seek re-election if the electricity supply did not improve dramatically, Onanuga said, “That is not exactly what he said. He said he will give Nigerians power. I’m paraphrasing now. He said he will also say he will end the area of estimated billing. A problem that he has largely solved because it should not be his business, but his government is producing meters, asking the DISCOS to give people meters free of charge.

“And he said, if by any chance he has reasons not to give Nigerians adequate power, then they should understand the problem that he inherited.”

When he was told that the President said he should not be reelected if the electricity supply did not improve, Onanuga said, “He didn’t say that way. Let me see if I can open my phone and tell exactly what he said.”

Onanuga argued that Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to power sector reforms since assuming office, citing the signing of the Electricity Act as one of the administration’s major achievements.

“The first thing he did when he came to office was sign the Electricity Act, which enables states to generate power, transmit power and distribute power,” he said.

He noted that the legislation had opened up the electricity sector and encouraged competition, with several states already taking advantage of the opportunities created by the law.

“That is a good thing. Some of the states are taking advantage of that, and more are going to do so. That will make the electricity sector open and competitive,” he added.

The presidential spokesman also pointed to efforts by the administration to address the metering gap across the country, saying the government had intervened to ensure more Nigerians receive meters free of charge.

“He also learnt the error of estimated billing, a problem that his government is largely solving because the government is producing meters and asking distribution companies to give people free of charge,” Onanuga said.

While acknowledging that electricity supply has yet to reach the level envisioned by the President, Onanuga attributed the challenge to long-standing structural problems in the sector.

“We are not at the level that the President meant it. I can tell you that,” he said.

He explained that although Nigeria has an installed generation capacity of about 13,500 megawatts, constraints such as gas shortages, legacy debts and weak transmission infrastructure have limited performance.

“What people don’t know is that we already have an installed capacity of 13,500 megawatts. What are the problems? No gas. The players in the sector owe the gas companies legacy debts of over four trillion naira,” he said.

According to Onanuga, the Tinubu administration is working to resolve these issues while pursuing reforms aimed at improving generation and transmission capacity.

“The transmission grid is outdated, but that is part of the reforms that need to be put in place,” he said.

He added that the government was exploring additional initiatives to optimise existing power assets and improve electricity delivery across the country.

Onanuga maintained that despite the challenges, the administration remains committed to delivering on its promise of improving electricity supply and strengthening the nation’s power sector.

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