This study presents a comparative assessment of the poverty alleviation programmes implemented under Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020 framework during the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua/Goodluck Jonathan administration (2007–2015) and the Muhammadu Buhari administration (2015–2020). The research investigates the effectiveness, challenges, and outcomes of these initiatives in addressing persistent poverty in Nigeria. The study is anchored on Transformational Leadership Theory (TLT), which emphasizes the role of visionary and reform-minded leadership in driving societal transformation. The theory underscores the significance of leadership qualities such as charisma, motivation, and innovation in overcoming implementation challenges and rallying stakeholders toward shared development goals. Using a qualitative comparative research design, the paper relies on both secondary data from government reports, academic literature, and policy documents and primary data collected through interviews with political leaders, analysts, and scholars. Content analysis and thematic analysis were employed to examine policy evolution, institutional approaches, and governance structures across the administrations. Key discussions center on flagship programmes such as NAPEP, YouWIN, SURE-P, and the Social Investment Programme (SIP), including N-Power, GEEP, and Conditional Cash Transfers. While each administration expanded poverty interventions in scope and funding, structural weaknesses such as corruption, poor coordination, policy discontinuity, and weak institutional capacity limited sustainable outcomes. Findings reveal modest poverty reduction trends, with poverty headcount ratios decreasing from ~54.7% under Yar’Adua to 52.1% under Jonathan and 45.3% under Buhari. Despite this, multidimensional poverty remained high, with programmes frequently hindered by poor targeting, governance deficits, and external shocks such as economic recessions and insecurity. The study concludes that transformational leadership, institutional reform, and policy continuity are essential for effective poverty alleviation. It recommends strengthening data systems, improving transparency and monitoring, and aligning political agendas with inclusive, citizen-centered development frameworks.

Keywords: Poverty Alleviation, Transformational Leadership, Vision 20:2020, Social Investment Programmes, Governance in Nigeria