The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has launched the one-billion-dollar Household Prosperity and Economic Social Protection Project, HOPE-SP, as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection and humanitarian response systems.
The initiative, themed “From Palliatives to Pathways,” was unveiled on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
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The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, commended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, and his team for their efforts to transform humanitarian interventions from temporary assistance into sustainable pathways to recovery, empowerment and self-reliance.
She said the initiatives were designed to improve the identification and targeting of vulnerable households, strengthen coordination among humanitarian and poverty-reduction programmes, provide shock-responsive assistance and promote accountability and measurable outcomes.
The Minister, Dr Bernard Doro, said the launch marked a strategic shift from palliatives to pathways by placing vulnerable households at the centre of government interventions.
He explained that the reforms were aimed at addressing fragmentation, duplication and multiple uncoordinated registries through the establishment of a unified national architecture linking identification, needs assessment, targeted intervention, protection, empowerment, poverty graduation and sustainable growth.
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Dr Doro said the One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System, OHOPRS, would serve as a major reform platform for coordinating humanitarian response, social protection and poverty-reduction interventions.
He said the system would be supported by unified registries, digital delivery mechanisms, improved financing, stronger institutions, accountability and real-time intelligence.
Other initiatives unveiled at the event included the Emergency Shock-Responsive Cash Transfer, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Ministerial Blueprint, and the Humanitarian First Magazine, which will document the experiences and impact of government interventions on beneficiaries.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Olubunmi Olusanya, said the initiatives would strengthen coordination and accountability, stressing that the ultimate measure of success would be the tangible difference made in the lives of vulnerable Nigerians.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on behalf of other governors and sub-national governments; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar A. Bagudu; former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu; the European Union; the World Bank; and other international development partners.
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They commended the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection and humanitarian response systems.
The event featured a cultural performance by the Irigwe New Wave Dance Troupe from Plateau State.