“We Hear You”: Doro Vows to Pay Stalled Benefits, Overhaul Social Investment Programmes

By Iyojo Ameh

In a decisive move aimed at quelling rising public anxiety, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, has publicly guaranteed that all beneficiaries with verified claims under the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPA) will receive their outstanding payments.

The announcement came today following a closed-door meeting between the Minister and leaders representing aggrieved beneficiaries, who have reported months of delays and bureaucratic hurdles.

“I am acutely aware of the concerns surrounding the programme and I hear you,” Dr. Doro stated in a press release issued after the meeting. “Let me be clear: all legitimate concerns are being resolved. Beneficiaries with verified challenges will be addressed and will receive their payments.”

The NSIPA schemes, a cornerstone of the federal government’s poverty alleviation efforts, have been dogged by operational challenges and payment backlogs, causing significant hardship for millions of vulnerable Nigerians reliant on the support.

Doro outlined a dual strategy to address the crisis. The first is an immediate push to clear the backlog of verified payments. The second, and potentially more significant, is a pledge to undertake sweeping structural reforms of the programmes themselves.

“Since assuming office, I have worked with the National Social Investment Programmes Agency to review the schemes, identify gaps, and fix the structural challenges affecting delivery,” Doro explained.

He emphasized that the reforms are designed to ensure sustainability and align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. A key component will be the introduction of “clear exit strategies” to transition beneficiaries from social support to self-sufficiency, moving away from what critics have called an endless cycle of dependency.

The Ministry has advised beneficiaries awaiting payments to contact its offices or the NSIPA agency directly for status updates.