The Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening social protection delivery through direct beneficiary engagement, transparent programme implementation, and evidence-based policymaking. The Minister made this statement at the HoPE CT Beneficiary and Stakeholder Engagement held at the Ahiajoku Convention Centre, Owerri, Imo State. The event brought together beneficiaries, government officials, traditional rulers, development partners, and community representatives to assess the impact of the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Cash Transfer (HoPE CT) Programme in the State. The engagement formed part of the Minister’s nationwide beneficiary interaction initiative, designed to provide government with first-hand insight into programme performance while creating a platform for beneficiaries to share their experiences directly with policymakers. Speaking at the event, Dr. Doro emphasised that social protection programmes must be evaluated not only by figures and statistics, but by the tangible impact they create in the lives of vulnerable Nigerians. “Leadership must remain connected to impact. Reports and statistics are important, but there is no substitute for hearing directly from the people whose lives these interventions are designed to improve,” he said. The Minister noted that Imo State has recorded significant participation under the HoPE CT Programme, with 278,727 households across all twenty-seven Local Government Areas benefiting from cash transfer support totalling over ₦6.6 billion. Dr. Doro outlined that the engagement’s objectives were to understand the realities behind the statistics, evaluate programme outcomes from the perspective of beneficiaries, identify implementation challenges, and gather recommendations to inform future policy decisions and programme improvements. He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and direct beneficiary engagement as pillars of effective social protection delivery, and assured participants that concerns raised during the engagement would be incorporated into ongoing programme reviews. The Minister also urged beneficiaries to report any form of misconduct, extortion, or irregularity through established grievance redress channels, reaffirming that the HoPE CT Programme remains entirely free of charge. “What we are building is not just a programme, but a system that supports people, strengthens resilience, and creates sustainable pathways out of poverty,” Dr. Doro stated. The highlight of the engagement was the open beneficiary interaction session, during which participants shared their experiences with the Minister directly. Beneficiaries described how the intervention had enabled them to pay school fees, purchase agricultural inputs, expand small businesses, improve household welfare, and address pressing family needs. Many described the programme as timely and impactful, and appealed for its continuation and expansion to reach more vulnerable households. In a gesture of gratitude, beneficiaries collectively presented locally produced palm oil to the Minister as a symbolic gift in recognition of the programme’s impact. The gesture drew warm applause from participants. In his welcome remarks, Imo State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Chief Kenneth Okafor, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction for sustaining the intervention. He highlighted the programme’s contributions to livelihood support, food security, household welfare, educational assistance, and grassroots economic development across the State. The Commissioner reaffirmed the Imo State Government’s commitment, under the leadership of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, to continued collaboration with the Federal Government on social protection and poverty reduction initiatives. Goodwill messages were also delivered by other stakeholders in attendance. Hon. Ibekaeme Friday Umunakwe, Chairman of Orsu Local Government Area and representative of the ALGON Chairman, Imo State Chapter, commended the Federal Government for the intervention and appealed for its expansion to reach more vulnerable citizens. The engagement concluded with renewed stakeholder commitments to support effective programme implementation and strengthen collaboration towards inclusive development and sustainable poverty reduction in Imo State. By Ene Mary McDickson