The Nigerian Government has disbursed a total of ₦11,482,020,000.00 to Kwara State residents, in continuation of the government’s poverty reduction strategy in the country.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, stated this in Ilorin at the weekend during his stakeholder engagement and interaction with beneficiaries of the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Cash Transfer Programme (HOPE-CT) in the state.
According to him, the fund was provided to the beneficiaries in three tranches under the government’s conditional cash transfer.
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Doro disclosed that while 183,186 households benefited in the first tranche, 139,812 and 141,852 households received the financial support in the second and third tranches, respectively.
The Minister noted that the fund disbursement, one of the flagship programmes of President Bola Tinubu-led administration, is designed to enable beneficiaries to exit poverty with dignity.
Doro, who lauded President Tinubu for what he described as strong leadership and commitment to strengthening social protection in Nigeria, pointed out that the President’s vision has continued to guide his ministry towards building a system that delivers measurable outcomes for vulnerable Nigerians.
The Minister said his visit to Kwara was to interact, listen and obtain relevant information from beneficiaries to enable the government to moot a new strategy so that the present administration’s objective of lifting millions of citizens out of poverty could be realised.
“I chose to be here personally because leadership must not operate at a distance. I needed to come down myself to see, to hear, and to understand what is working and what must change. Kwara State holds a unique place in the evolution of this programme, having contributed significantly to shaping its structure and strengthening its delivery,“ he said.
In her remarks, the state Commissioner for Social Development, Dr Mariam Nnafatima Imam, disclosed that the funds were disbursed in three tranches of ₦25,000, ₦50,000 and ₦75,000.
The Commissioner stated that the federal government’s financial support has helped families stay afloat, rebuild and look ahead with more confidence.
She added that alongside KWASSIP and in collaboration with HOPE-CT, these efforts are improving lives across communities, while the State Cash Transfer Unit, housed within KWASSIP, has also made coordination easier and more effective.