Shock Response Targeting Mechanism for the Poor and Vulnerable Urban Households in Nigeria

Authors

  • Dr. Iorwakwagh Apera Global Strategic Business Alliance, Abuja-90000, Nigeria. Author
  • Dr. Sesugh Nongo National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Abuja-90000, Nigeria. Author
  • Dr. Daniel Amba National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Abuja-90000, Nigeria. Author
  • Murtala Mohammed National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Abuja-90000, Nigeria. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63539/isrn.2025011

Keywords:

Rapid Targeting, Technology Innovation, Social Register, Economic Shocks, Geographical Targeting, Urban Poor

Abstract

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented hardship to the global community, with Nigeria being no exception. According to the World Bank's Poverty and Equity Brief for West Africa Nigeria (2021), more than 80 million Nigerians faced vulnerability and poverty due to the pandemic's socioeconomic impacts. In response, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) in collaboration with the World Bank, implemented a Shock Responsive Mechanism (SRM) to provide targeted assistance to those most severely affected. This paper evaluates this mechanism's effectiveness, focusing on three innovative aspects: 1) the use of satellite remote sensing and machine learning algorithms for geographical targeting, 2) the performance of SMS/USSD remote registration platforms, and 3) the accuracy of beneficiary selection in identifying the urban poor. Our analysis of programme data covering over 2.7 million validated beneficiaries across Nigeria indicates that the satellite-based targeting approach successfully identified areas with population characteristics consistent with established urban poverty indicators. The mobile-based registration system achieved a 99% location accuracy rate when verified against field validation, though challenges related to timing and population mobility were noted. The socioeconomic profiles of beneficiaries align closely with established characteristics of urban poverty in Nigeria, suggesting effective targeting. This case study offers valuable insights for other countries with limited data infrastructure seeking to implement rapid, technology-driven social protection responses during crises.

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Author Biographies

  • Dr. Iorwakwagh Apera, Global Strategic Business Alliance, Abuja-90000, Nigeria.

    Dr. Iorwakwagh Apera holds a Doctorate Degree with a major in Social Marketing and is proficient in English (C2) and working knowledge of Hause. Apera has over 30 years of cognitive diverse experiences ranging from the World Bank, USAID, CDC, FCDO, Norwegian Government, and the private sector. In his immediate past role, Apera was responsible for the establishment of Give Directly in Nigeria and managed its portfolio of investments within the Social Protection space. Before then Apera was the Country Director FHI360, where he managed over 400 staff and a combined portfolio of $600 million across Health, Nutrition, Education and Humanitarian programme, he successfully implemented a new Country Vision, expanding FHI360’s reach beyond traditional sectors and funders. His multi-sectorial approach allowed the organization address evolving challenges in alignment with the needs of the host government. 
    Prior to joining FHI360, Apera managed the $822M World Bank funded social safety net program in Nigeria. In this role, he led the development of Nigeria’s National Social Register of over 13 million poor and vulnerable households and a fully digitalized cash transfer mechanism to over 2 million poor and vulnerable households. He also led the development of the first shock responsive social protection targeting framework in Nigeria using satellite imagery and big data.  As National Program Manager for the FCDO funded (GBP 60 million) Child Development Grants Project (CDGP) through Save the Children International, Apera led the first nutrition sensitive cash transfer program for pregnant women and lactating mothers in Nigeria. 
    As Country Director for West African Infectious Diseases Institute (Accordia Global Health Initiative) in Nigeria, Apera supported 14 universities in Nigeria to develop research capacity in infectious diseases. This includes the establishment of the Infectious Diseases Institute at the Bayero University, Kano. He also led collaboration with NCDC to develop the first curriculum for the training of front-line health workers to respond to epidemics from dangerous pathogens.  As Country Director for the United Nations Foundation, Apera led the development of e-health framework for health in Nigeria. He also led advocacy efforts at the 2016 National Council on Health, where the e-health framework was approved for national deployment. Under his leadership, the body of evidence from WAIDI’s research team led to policy change that informed the use of rapid diagnostic testing for malaria by patent medicines vendors (PMV) in Nigeria.

  • Dr. Sesugh Nongo, National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Abuja-90000, Nigeria.

    Dr. Sesugh Nongo is a distinguished engineering professional with a Doctorate in Energy Studies and Thermo-Fluid Engineering. With a career spanning energy system, space engineering, and data-driven solutions, he has consistently applied space-based technologies to solve complex engineering and socio-economic challenges.

    He currently serves as Deputy Director at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria. He was deployed as the Manager of the Management Information System at the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to support in building tools and systems for the National Social Safety-Net Project. In this capacity, Dr. Nongo has led several groundbreaking initiatives, including the technical leadership of the Rapid Response Register (RRR)—Nigeria’s flagship data platform for identifying and supporting poor and vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. His expertise in satellite data integration was instrumental in delivering a timely and technology-driven response.

    Dr. Nongo also spearheaded the design and implementation of an integrated MIS platform for the National Social Register (NSR)—the largest in Africa—supporting data collection, curation, and analysis for over 70 million individuals. Furthermore, he led the development of an innovative shock-responsive mechanism designed to aid government interventions during disasters and economic shocks.

    Dr. Nongo has a Ph.D in Energy and Thermofluid Engineering and is a COREN-registered Mechanical Engineer and a member of several professional bodies. He has authored multiple articles in international journals and has extensive experience across the energy sector, space systems, data science, and information technology. His professional journey reflects exceptional leadership, deep technical expertise, and an unwavering dedication to harnessing technology for national development and social impact.

  • Dr. Daniel Amba, National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Abuja-90000, Nigeria.

    Daniel Amba is an economist, policy analyst and statistician at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Amba has PhD in economics, specializing in monetary economics from the University of Abuja. He has made notable contributions through academic publications in public finance, budgeting, monetary economics and governance. He had also been a notable contributor to the national media on issues of economic and development policy. In 2020, he presented a paper titled “Addressing the Challenges of Poverty, SMES and Sustainable Development Goals” at a conference of the Senior Executive Course 42, 2020, National Institute for Policy & Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru among others.

    Professionally, he has participated in executing important projects. One of them was the project sponsored by DFID on the analysis of the Federal, State and Local Government Budgets from the viewpoint of government expenditure for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The highly rated report was presented by President Goodluck Jonathan to the September 2010 UN General Assembly Summit on the Countdown to the MDGs. In April 2011, he led a team of Rapporteurs to the Presidential Summit on Job Creation at the Presidential Villa, Abuja; an assignment that produced a working document for Nigeria on job creation.

    As a statistician he has participated in national assignments such as the Rebasing of the Nigerian GDP, Nigerian youth survey, 2012, surveys on quarterly job creation and the production of Social Statistics in Nigerian, 2016.  He was also a resource person at the customized training for statistics practitioners of the Nigeria aviation industry in Ibadan, where he presented a paper on the importance of statistics to national development. In addition, Mr. Amba was a Lead Statistical Consultant, African Catalyst Project; a survey sponsored by The Royal Academy of Engineering, UK and executed by the Committee on Women in Engineering, (FAEO) in collaboration with Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and Science Engineering and Technology Network (SciEtech). He attended trainings and workshops notable amongst them are “Designing and Implementing Social Transfers Programs organized by Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI) Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2017 and Workshop on governance, organized by WiLDAF, Ghana, 2010. Currently, he serves as Grievance Redress Mechanism Manager at the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), where he played a key role in designing a national GRM framework and implementing a feedback system featuring a dedicated toll-free call center. The Call Centre was instrumental in building the Rapid Response Register during the Covid-19 crises in Nigeria.

  • Murtala Mohammed, National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office, Abuja-90000, Nigeria.

    Murtala Mohammed is a Nigerian technology professional and data scientist whose career spans more than two decades in software development, data analysis, and project management. He earned a B.Tech in Information and Communication Technology in 2011 and is currently completing an M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence, reflecting his ongoing commitment to cutting‐edge research and practice in the field.

    From 2000 to 2016, Murtala served at the National Population Commission, where he rose from Software Developer to Data Collection Supervisor. In that role he designed edit specifications, oversaw large‐scale field data gathering operations. His work helped ensure the Commission’s reporting was both accurate and timely, underpinning national planning efforts.

    Since 2016, Murtala has been at the National Social Safety‐net Coordinating Office. He began as a Targeting Officer, applying rigorous algorithmic approaches to identify and enroll eligible beneficiaries—and advanced to Management Information Officer before becoming Senior Data Analyst. In these positions, he has architected and managed information workflows, implemented data‐driven decision tools, and guided cross‐functional teams in building systems that support Nigeria’s social protection programs.

    Beyond his professional pursuits, Murtala is a devoted husband and father. He finds balance in exploring new datasets, traveling to broaden his perspective, and watching movies with his family. His blend of technical expertise, leadership in data governance, and passion for lifelong learning mark him as a distinguished contributor to both the Nigerian public sector and the global AI community.

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Published

28-06-2025

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2025): May-August

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Iorwakwagh Apera, Dr. Sesugh Nongo, Dr. Daniel Amba, Murtala Mohammed (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Apera, I., Nongo, S., Amba, D., & Mohammed, M. (2025). Shock Response Targeting Mechanism for the Poor and Vulnerable Urban Households in Nigeria. International Social Research Nexus (ISRN), 1(2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.63539/isrn.2025011
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