An analysis of Nigeria’s National Social Investment Program (NSIP): Impacts, challenges, and lessons for transformative social policy in Africa

The National Social Investment Program that was first implemented in Nigeria in 2016 aims to reduce poverty and improve education and financial inclusion among vulnerable groups. Grounded in rights-based and developmental approaches, which view social protection as a fundamental right and a tool for economic development, this study aims to evaluate the NSIP’s effectiveness across its major components: conditional cash transfer, the Home-Grown School Feeding Program, and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program. This study first used archival data from the NSIP’s management information system and later from benchmark national household surveys, together with subjective data collected through interviews and focus group discussions in various regions in Nigeria. They show that the NSIP has recorded low but significant improvements since its inception, cutting poverty among CCT beneficiaries to 5 percent, increasing school enrollment among NSIP beneficiaries by 20 percent, and improving financial access by 25 percent among GEEP beneficiaries. However, the study points to weaknesses like incoherent targeting, scarce funding, and a lack of flexibility, especially in the event of an emergency.