The Federal Government has integrated the National Identification Numbers of 15.65 million Nigerians into the National Social Register to improve the identification of poor and vulnerable households and strengthen social protection programmes.

The National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office disclosed this on its official X handle on Wednesday, saying more than 13.3 million unique households had been updated across 771 local government areas in 37 states as of October 2026.

The development comes as the Federal Government reported disbursing ₦658.9 billion in direct cash transfers to 10.46 million poor and vulnerable households as of September 2026, according to the World Bank’s latest Nigeria Development Update.

NASSCO said the updated figures reflected ongoing efforts to improve the quality of beneficiary data and promote transparency in social protection programmes.

Meanwhile, the World Bank urged the government to expand the initiative, increase the adequacy of payments and ensure beneficiaries receive financial assistance more consistently.