By Seun Ibiyemi
The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has commended the Federal Government’s newly unveiled social intervention programmes, describing them as a critical step towards strengthening the legitimacy of ongoing economic reforms and ensuring that the benefits of macroeconomic stability reach ordinary Nigerians.
In a policy brief released on Sunday, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the CPPE, Dr Muda Yusuf reads that the programmes, which are supported by the World Bank, represent a significant shift in government policy from restoring macroeconomic stability to promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
The intervention package comprises five flagship initiatives: the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Additional Financing (NG-CARES AF), the Solutions for Internally Displaced and Host Communities Programme (SOLID), and three Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity programmes—HOPE-GOV, HOPE-PHC and HOPE-EDU.
According to Yusuf, while the Tinubu administration’s reforms have strengthened key macroeconomic indicators, including exchange-rate stability, fiscal transparency, external reserves and investor confidence, the ultimate test of any reform programme lies in its ability to improve living standards and household welfare.
Yusuf noted that social intervention programmes are strategically important because they not only provide relief to vulnerable households but also reinforce public confidence in the government’s economic agenda.
“Public support is more likely to endure when the benefits of reform are visible, inclusive and widely shared,” he stated, adding that social protection strengthens both social welfare and the political credibility of economic reforms.
He stressed that macroeconomic stability should not be viewed as an end in itself but as a means of achieving inclusive growth, productive employment, poverty reduction and improved living standards.
However, he warned that the success of the programmes would depend largely on effective implementation, transparent governance and proper targeting of beneficiaries.
He urged the government to design the initiatives in a manner that reflects Nigeria’s institutional realities, minimises leakages and political interference, and ensures that support reaches intended beneficiaries efficiently and at scale.
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Yusuf further emphasised that social interventions alone cannot address the country’s deep-rooted economic challenges, noting that broader structural reforms are needed to tackle insecurity, rising food prices, poor infrastructure, weak agricultural productivity and high production costs.
According to him, sustainable poverty reduction depends on expanding productive employment opportunities and improving Nigeria’s economic competitiveness.
He argued that social protection measures and structural reforms should be pursued simultaneously, with social programmes cushioning vulnerable households while economic reforms create the conditions for higher productivity, increased private investment and long-term income growth.
He concluded that the government’s intervention programmes mark an important transition from macroeconomic stabilisation to inclusive economic transformation, but stressed that transparent implementation and measurable outcomes would determine their success.
