The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has stated that over 10 million vulnerable Nigerians who benefited from the Federal Government’s \text{N}75,000 conditional cash transfer programme do not have access to mobile phones, television sets, or social media platforms.
Yilwatda made the disclosure on Saturday, September 26, 2026, during a press briefing with journalists following the conclusion of the party’s three-day National Executive Council (NEC) retreat in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Addressing public scrutiny and online debates regarding the reach and impact of the Tinubu administration’s social intervention schemes, the APC Chairman argued that the absence of beneficiaries on digital platforms should not be misinterpreted as a failure of distribution.
”We have given \text{N}75,000 to over 10 million Nigerians across the country using the conditional cash transfer under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction,” Yilwatda said. “Mind you, these people who are poor and vulnerable don’t have telephones to make calls; they are not on social media. They don’t have a television. They cannot come and challenge and discuss as we are doing here, but they are out there.”
The National Chairman noted that the conditional cash transfer—implemented to cushion the economic impact of the petrol subsidy removal, forms part of a broader array of government measures.
He cited ongoing road construction projects that generate local employment, alongside the federal student loan program, as parallel initiatives targeted at easing economic hardship.
During the briefing, Yilwatda also responded to criticisms from political opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, over the administration’s economic policies and fuel subsidy removal.
He contended that ending the subsidy freed vital resources for state governments, enabling over 30 states to consistently pay worker salaries and pensions while funding critical infrastructure.
The three-day APC NEC retreat in Maiduguri served as a strategic review of the ruling party’s structures across all levels, national, state, local government, ward, and polling units, ahead of upcoming political activities.
As part of the retreat’s outcomes, the party’s leadership passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, while resolving to strengthen internal reconciliation efforts across state chapters.
