Corruption, political interference threaten social intervention pro...

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has warned that corruption, fund diversion and political interference could undermine the success of the Federal Government’s newly launched social intervention programmes if adequate safeguards are not put in place.

In a policy brief titled Strengthening the Legitimacy of Economic Reforms, the economic think tank said the World Bank-backed initiatives have the potential to cushion the impact of ongoing economic reforms on vulnerable Nigerians, but stressed that effective implementation would determine their success.

Chief Executive Officer of CPPE, Dr Muda Yusuf, said Nigeria’s social intervention programmes have historically suffered from corruption, weak targeting and operational inefficiencies, urging the government to adopt transparent and accountable implementation mechanisms.

He said strict measures should be introduced to prevent financial leakages, diversion of funds and bureaucratic waste, while beneficiary selection must be insulated from political interference to ensure assistance reaches the intended recipients.

“The effectiveness of the initiative will depend on implementation. Programme design must reflect Nigeria’s institutional realities, minimise leakages and political capture, and ensure that support reaches intended beneficiaries efficiently, transparently and at scale. International development models should be adapted to local conditions rather than replicated without contextualisation,” Yusuf said.

According to the CPPE, failure to address governance challenges could weaken the impact of the interventions and erode public confidence in the government’s broader economic reform agenda.

The organisation, however, described the new social intervention framework as a significant policy shift from macroeconomic stabilisation towards improving welfare outcomes and promoting inclusive growth.

The programmes include the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Additional Financing (NG-CARES AF), Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons and Host Communities Programme (SOLID), Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance Programme (HOPE-GOV), Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity – Primary Health Care (HOPE-PHC), and Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity – Education (HOPE-EDU).

CPPE said the initiatives reflect the government’s recognition that economic reforms must deliver tangible benefits to citizens to remain socially and politically sustainable.

“They signal an important shift in the reform agenda, from restoring macroeconomic stability to ensuring that the benefits of reform translate into improved welfare, greater inclusion and shared prosperity,” the policy brief stated.

While acknowledging improvements in macroeconomic indicators such as exchange rate stability, stronger external reserves, improved fiscal transparency and rising investor confidence, Yusuf argued that these gains alone cannot define the success of the reforms.

“The enduring test of any reform programme is its ability to improve living standards through lower inflationary pressures, higher productivity, stronger employment and rising household incomes. Macroeconomic stability is a means to an end, not an end in itself,” he said.

The CPPE noted that well-targeted social protection programmes could strengthen public support for the government’s reform agenda by ensuring that vulnerable groups are protected during the adjustment period.

It also cautioned against relying solely on social interventions to tackle poverty, stressing that long-term economic progress would depend on addressing insecurity, food inflation, low agricultural productivity, inadequate infrastructure and the high cost of doing business.

The think tank urged the government to pursue structural reforms capable of attracting investment, improving the business environment and creating sustainable employment opportunities alongside the implementation of the social safety net programmes.