Conditional Cash Transfer and Poverty Reduction Among Vulnerable Households in Nigeria Public Service Delivery

Abstract

The Study assessed Conditional Cash Transfer and Poverty Reduction among Vulnerable Households in Nigerian Public Service Delivery. Conditional Cash Transfer Programme is one of the social safety nets intervention of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) established in 2015 but became operational in 2016 to give financial support to vulnerable households so that they can acquire educational enrolment of their children, healthcare services, good standard of living and improvement in household income. However, the achievement of the CCT objectives is more of mirage than reality due to some macroeconomic policies embarked upon by the Federal Government such as removal of subsidies, exchange rate instability and depreciation of the Naira, and prohibition of trade liberalization; all of which have collectively and significantly contributed to inflation that undermines the effectiveness of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme. The broad objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme in the reduction of poverty among vulnerable households, with specific attention given to educational enrolment, healthcare services, standard of living and household income. The Principal-Agent Theory was used to explain the variables underpinning the Study because it explicitly highlighted how asymmetry information between the leaders and the citizens has made the former to act in their best interests against the interests of the latter. The Study used contextual design to analyze the data generated from secondary sources such as journals, articles, textbooks, and the internet. The Study found among others that macroeconomic policies of the government have led to inflation that erodes the purchasing power of the CCT; thereby hindering the realization of the objectives of the CCT social intervention Programme. Based on the findings, the Study recommended among others, that government should reform its macroeconomic policies to ensure that there is exchange rate stability, trade liberalization and provision of subsidies on basic items to reduce inflation and enhance the purchasing power of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme.