FEC Approves New Initiative to Tackle Poverty, Support Poor Nigerians

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a new national framework designed to improve poverty reduction efforts and ensure that vulnerable Nigerians receive coordinated humanitarian assistance and long-term economic support.

The initiative, known as the One Humanitarian One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), is expected to bring humanitarian aid, social protection and poverty alleviation programmes under a unified system.

It is intended to address gaps in the delivery of government assistance and help struggling households move from emergency relief to sustainable recovery.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, presented the proposal to the council, which approved it on Wednesday.

The ministry announced the development in a statement issued on Thursday.

According to the ministry, the framework forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to improve living conditions and lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

The government said the new approach became necessary because several humanitarian and poverty reduction programmes had operated independently, making it difficult to coordinate assistance and measure their overall impact.

Under the previous arrangement, different agencies and organisations could provide similar interventions to some communities while other vulnerable households remained without adequate support.

The separation of emergency assistance from long-term development programmes also created difficulties for families trying to rebuild their lives after displacement, conflict or other crises.

OHOPRS is designed to address these challenges by establishing a coordinated structure through which government agencies, development partners and humanitarian organisations can work together.

Rather than introducing another isolated intervention, the framework seeks to connect existing programmes and make assistance more responsive to the needs of individual households.

Doro said the initiative would change how humanitarian assistance and poverty reduction programmes were planned and delivered across the country.

“For too long, humanitarian assistance, social protection and poverty reduction have operated as separate interventions. OHOPRS brings them together, so that vulnerable Nigerians are not simply assisted during emergencies but supported along a structured pathway towards recovery, resilience and economic independence,” Doro said.

The minister explained that the approval by the Federal Executive Council marked an important step in incorporating the framework into the Federal Government’s formal policy and implementation structure.

He stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the improvements it delivers to the lives of beneficiaries, rather than the number of programmes or interventions introduced by the government.

The framework places households at the centre of planning, service delivery and the assessment of results.

This means that assistance is expected to be organised around the needs of vulnerable families, with greater attention given to the support required to help them recover and become economically independent.

Under the proposed system, families displaced by violence, conflict and other emergencies would continue to receive immediate relief, including food, shelter and healthcare.

However, the assistance would not end with the provision of basic necessities.

Eligible households would also be connected to social protection schemes, educational opportunities, vocational training, skills acquisition programmes and livelihood support.

These interventions are intended to help beneficiaries rebuild their sources of income, improve their living conditions and reduce their dependence on emergency assistance.

Nigeria continues to face significant economic and humanitarian challenges, with many households struggling to meet basic needs amid rising living costs and limited economic opportunities.

Communities affected by insecurity and displacement also face additional difficulties, including loss of livelihoods, interrupted education and inadequate access to healthcare.

For such households, emergency assistance can provide immediate relief, but sustained recovery often requires access to income-generating opportunities, education, healthcare and other essential services.

The OHOPRS framework is intended to establish a clearer link between these forms of support.

Remi Tinubu

The initiative was developed with technical contributions from development partners and other stakeholders during a workshop held at the United Nations House in Abuja in March 2026.

It was subsequently unveiled on August 26, 2026, by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, alongside Doro at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.

This article first appeared on Politics Nigeria: https://politicsnigeria.com/2026/10/29/fec-approves-new-initiative-to-tackle-poverty-support-poor-nigerians/

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