ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER TOWARD POVERTY REDUCTION IN DUTSE SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF JIGAWA STATE FROM 2015 TO 2024.
Mohammed Suleiman , Hindatu Megari Yerima, PhD and Naziru Muhammad Musalli, PhD
Volume 13 Issue 2
Abstract
This study assesses the impact of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program on poverty reduction in Dutse Senatorial District, Jigawa State, Nigeria. Despite substantial government investment of 1.6 billion Naira benefiting 16,000 households from 2015 to 2022, Jigawa State remains the third poorest state in Nigeria with an 87.02% poverty rate. Employing a positivist paradigm and survey research design, data were collected from 374 CCT beneficiaries across seven Local Government Areas using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and mean score analysis were used to test five hypotheses. The findings reveal that CCT programs have a significant positive impact on poverty reduction (Mean = 3.79), improve beneficiaries’ standard of living (Mean = 3.77), and demonstrate effectiveness and sustainability (Mean = 4.12). However, the study identified significant implementation challenges including delays in disbursement, lack of transparency in beneficiary selection, insufficient cash amounts, corruption, and exclusion of remote communities (Mean = 4.01). Digitalization was found to contribute significantly to program efficiency and outreach (Mean = 3.99). The study recommends regular and adequate disbursement, integration of complementary livelihood programs, full digitalization of payment systems, and institutionalization of CCT within state social protection frameworks. These findings contribute to the discourse on social protection programs in Sub-Saharan Africa and provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers in Nigeria. Keywords: Conditional Cash Transfer, Poverty Reduction, Social Protection, Digitalization, Jigawa State, Nigeria
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