Kalu Moves to Combat Extreme Poverty, Empower Vulnerable Nigerians as Bill Scales First Reading

By our Correspondent

A bill aimed at establishing the Social Welfare Service of Nigeria to fight extreme poverty and strengthen social protection systems has passed its first reading in the Senate.

Sponsored by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission, the bill was read for the first time during Thursday’s plenary session presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Social Welfare Service to Reduce Extreme Poverty among Vulnerable Groups and Implement Social Protection Systems and Measures in Nigeria and for Related Matters,” the proposed legislation seeks to institutionalize a structured welfare framework for Nigeria’s poorest citizens.

According to provisions of the bill obtained by The SUN, the Social Welfare Service will periodically design and implement programs targeted at addressing chronic poverty in both rural and urban communities.

The agency will initiate schemes that help poor individuals and households transition out of poverty rather than remain perpetually dependent on aid.

The bill outlines key functions for the Service, including the development of mechanisms to effectively target benefits for the poor, coordination of safety centers across states, and establishment of a monitoring and evaluation unit to assess progress, beneficiaries, and program sustainability.

It also mandates the Service to maintain registers of both current beneficiaries and those who have graduated from social welfare programs, ensuring continuous tracking of progress and long-term impact. Additionally, the bill calls for a sustainable development program to prevent beneficiaries who have exited poverty from relapsing into deprivation.

Under the proposed law, beneficiaries will be selected based on criteria such as households earning below ₦5,000 monthly, temporary workers earning less than ₦3,000 per job, households without productive assets, and families engaged in low-income occupations such as subsistence farming, fishing, plumbing, or welding. Residents of slum areas with poor sanitation and no access to potable water are also eligible.

The bill further stipulates prerequisites for participation, including residency within the service area and, for employable individuals, physical and mental fitness for labor-intensive work.

Senator Kalu’s initiative reflects growing concern within the National Assembly over Nigeria’s deepening poverty levels and the urgent need for an institutional framework that moves beyond short-term relief efforts.

If enacted, the Social Welfare Service Act will establish a national mechanism for targeted poverty reduction, social protection, and sustainable livelihood development—marking a significant step toward addressing one of Nigeria’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges.