The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in Nigeria has disbursed the sum of 20,000 naira each to 3000 women and youths in Gombe State.
The Minister, Mrs. Sadiya Farouq stated this at the official distribution of the Cash Grant to the Vulnerable and the On-boarding of Independent monitors stream 2 in Gombe state.
Mrs Farouq said the programme was being implemented in close partnerships with the Gomne State government, to consolidate on the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP, specifically targeted at supporting some of the poorest and vulnerable citizens in Nigeria to address poverty.
She said the beneficiaries cut across all the 11 local government areas of Gombe State and would consist of 70% women beneficiaries, while the remaining 30% would be for the youths, in fulfilment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s social inclusion agenda.
“About 15% of the total number of beneficiaries is specifically allocated to the segment of the population with special needs, including Persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens in the State,” Mrs. Far-out said.
She said the Grant for Vulnerable Groups was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, which is consistent with the national target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians in rural and peri-urban areas of the country. A cash grant of N20, 000.00 will be disbursed to the poor and vulnerable category across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Using this grant, many of the beneficiaries will improve their productivity and their commercial activity, all of which will help in easing them out of poverty,” the Minister said.
She said she was hopeful that the cash grant would increase the income and productive assets of target beneficiaries, as well as enable them to make good use of the grant to improve productive activities that would generate more income and improve their living standard.
Mrs. Farouq encouraged the Gombe State Government to extend similar interventions to promote social inclusion in its policies, programmes and projects by emulating the gesture.
The Humanitarian Affairs Minister also said she came into Gombe State with a team that would train and onboard the additional Independent Monitors as a 2nd Stream of the Independent Monitors to closely monitor the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP, implementation in the State.
The Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the intervention was a welcome development, in view of the population of the state, which had increased greatly due to the influx of Internally Displaced People who fled insecurity from neighbouring states.
“We are more honoured and very grateful that the Honourable Minister is here in person. Pardon me for stating that based on the number of times you have visited Gombe and the love you have shown to the state, I am tempted to add Gombe to your names,” the Governor said.
He said the programme would assist 2,100 women and 900 youths with 20 thousand naira each.
According to the Governor, all the interventions of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development are ventures that would improve the standard of living of the poor and vulnerable.
The Gombe State Governor was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau.
Confidence Okwuchi
