Kalu’s Poverty Eradication Bill Clears Second Reading as Senate Backs New Social Welfare Framework

The Senate on Wednesday approved for second reading a landmark bill sponsored by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), which seeks to establish a comprehensive Social Welfare Service aimed at tackling extreme poverty and ensuring that government social programmes are directed exclusively to genuinely vulnerable Nigerians.

Presenting the Social Welfare Service Bill, 2025, Senator Kalu said the proposal addresses one of Nigeria’s most persistent national challenges—rising poverty—by creating a centralised, transparent, and data-driven institution to coordinate social protection initiatives across the country.

He noted that, despite years of various intervention efforts, “millions of Nigerians still lack access to basic necessities.” Kalu argued that the missing link has been the absence of an organised national structure capable of managing and harmonising welfare programmes in a consistent and accountable manner.

Describing the draft legislation as a new national architecture for social protection, Kalu explained that the Bill seeks to establish the Social Welfare Service as a department under the ministry in charge of humanitarian affairs, with offices in all 36 states and the FCT.

He said this nationwide presence would prevent the over-concentration of social programmes in Abuja and guarantee a direct impact at the grassroots.

According to him, the institution would design and implement a range of welfare interventions, including food and cash transfers, education stipends, housing assistance, subsidies for smallholder farmers, credit schemes, as well as allowances for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Kalu further stated that the system would incorporate strict targeting mechanisms to ensure that only legitimately vulnerable citizens benefit from these programmes.

A key innovation in the Bill, he added, is the creation of Safety Centres nationwide to serve as data and operational hubs responsible for identifying beneficiaries, delivering support, and tracking outcomes.

He said the Service would maintain a register of beneficiaries and programme graduates to prevent fraud and monitor long-term results.

The Bill sets out specific eligibility benchmarks, including households earning below ₦5,000 monthly, day labourers earning under ₦3,000 per job, low-income artisans, subsistence farmers, and residents of slum communities. Kalu stressed that these criteria are intended to eliminate political influence, arbitrary selections, and double registrations.

The Minister overseeing the agency would appoint a Coordinator with not less than 15 years’ experience in social welfare and a track record of integrity, supported by officials drawn from the ministry and civil service.

Deputy Senate Leader Oyelola Ashiru (Kwara South) commended the Bill as “data-driven and timely,” highlighting that many Nigerians survive on “pathetic statistics,” with some families earning less than ₦5,000 monthly. He urged quick legislative action on the proposal.

Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno described the Bill as “apt and germane,” noting that it would generate accurate data on Nigerians living below the poverty line and support the development of solutions similar to those adopted successfully in China.

Deputy Senate Minority Whip Osita Ngwu said the Bill would uplift vulnerable citizens and introduce transparency into social welfare distribution, thereby reducing disputes around poverty intervention initiatives.

Senator Sani Musa added that consolidating all social intervention schemes under one institution would finally allow Nigeria to determine “the actual number of Nigerians who truly need these services,” stressing that existing funds often fail to reach intended beneficiaries.

After robust debate, Deputy Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the Bill to a voice vote, and it was overwhelmingly passed for second reading.

Barau applauded Senator Kalu for proposing “a bill that will further strengthen social welfare implementation,” noting that the initiative aligns with ongoing social intervention programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Bill was subsequently referred to the Committee on Public Service, with instructions to report back within four weeks.

If enacted, the Social Welfare Service Bill, 2025, will establish Nigeria’s first permanent institutional framework dedicated to systematically eradicating extreme poverty and ensuring that social services reach only those who genuinely need them.