The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a sweeping reform of the country’s humanitarian and poverty reduction system, introducing a unified framework aimed at ending fragmented interventions and placing vulnerable citizens on a path to self-reliance.
At the close of a four-day National Technical Workshop in Abuja, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, announced the adoption of the One Humanitarian – One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS) as Nigeria’s new national coordination platform for humanitarian action, social protection, and poverty reduction.
Speaking at a press conference held at the United Nations House, the minister described the initiative as a decisive shift in the country’s approach to tackling poverty.
“Today marks a defining moment in our journey towards reforming humanitarian interventions and reducing poverty at scale,” Doro said.
He explained that the workshop, convened in collaboration with international and local partners, addressed a long-standing weakness in Nigeria’s humanitarian ecosystem—poor coordination and fragmentation of programmes.
Highlighting the urgency for reform, the minister recounted the experience of a mother of four in the conflict-affected North-East who had received intermittent aid for three years without escaping poverty.
“She received enough food to survive the week, but never enough tools to change her life,” he said, quoting her as lamenting that while assistance was constant, progress remained elusive.
Doro said the case reflects a broader systemic failure, noting that while support often reaches intended beneficiaries, it rarely enables long-term economic independence.
“It is not that support is not reaching people; it is that our systems are not designed to move people from survival to self-reliance,” he stated.
To address these gaps, the government has adopted OHOPRS as what the minister described as a “national operating system” rather than another standalone programme.
Under the framework, humanitarian interventions, social protection schemes, and poverty reduction initiatives will be integrated under a single coordination platform to improve efficiency and accountability.
Doro outlined five key structural reforms, including the consolidation of multiple coordination mechanisms into one national system, integration of beneficiary databases into a unified registry, and a shift from project-based funding to a pooled financing model.
The framework will also prioritise measurable poverty exit outcomes and deploy real-time monitoring systems to enhance transparency.
Central to the reform is a “Ladder of Progress” model, which tracks beneficiaries from identification to economic resilience. Individuals will be identified through the National Social Register, tracked via a Unified Beneficiary Register, guided through a Poverty Exit Pathway, and subsequently monitored through a Growth Register to prevent relapse into poverty.
The minister stressed that successful implementation will depend on strong collaboration across all tiers of government and among development partners.
He called on ministries, departments and agencies, as well as state and local governments, the private sector, civil society organisations, and non-governmental organisations to align their interventions with the unified system.
Doro also framed poverty reduction as a strategic priority under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting its direct link to national stability.
“Poverty reduction is not an act of charity; it is a pillar of national security,” he said, adding that the government is shifting focus from short-term relief to sustainable economic empowerment.
“We are moving from helping Nigerians survive to enabling them to thrive,” he added.
The workshop brought together government officials, development partners, humanitarian organisations, and policy experts to deliberate on the design, financing, and operationalisation of the new system.
With the framework now adopted, the Federal Government said the next phase will focus on implementation, integration of existing programmes, and nationwide alignment of humanitarian and poverty reduction efforts under the OHOPRS platform.
