LISUNGI Program: 171,000 Beneficiaries and a Major Institutional Legacy

The “Lisungi” social protection program, implemented jointly with the World Bank from 2015 to 2023, marked a turning point in the social history of the Republic of Congo. With 76,000 people receiving conditional cash transfers and 95,000 other beneficiaries of grants for micro-enterprise creation, over 171,000 Congolese were directly supported.

Beyond the numbers, the program’s most lasting legacy lies in its institutionalization. When the project concluded at the end of February 2024, the Congolese state made a crucial decision: rather than letting the developed mechanisms disappear, it integrated them into the National Social Safety Nets Program.

The Unified Social Registry, which currently contains data on 852,149 households, representing approximately 3.4 million people, has become a central tool for government planning. The digital payments platform, enabling direct and secure transfers, has eliminated the risks of corruption. The beneficiary targeting methodology ensures that aid reaches those who need it most.

“What was a temporary project has become a permanent function of the State,” explains a ministry official. “Now, social protection is no longer a matter of international funding cycles, but a right guaranteed by the national budget.”

This vision of a sustainable and sovereign social protection system bears the mark of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who personally decided to maintain and strengthen these mechanisms after the withdrawal of international partners. His commitment to a lasting social policy is now transforming the daily lives of thousands of Congolese families.