The Nigerian government has commenced the cash grant for rural women in Kebbi State of twenty thousand naira each to poor and vulnerable households to uplift their socio-economic status.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Faruq, flagged off the conditional cash transfer at the Presidential Lodge, Birnin Kebbi.
In a statement by Chief Press Secretary Kebbi Government House, Mu’azu Dakingari, the conditional cash transfer (CCT) provides targeted monthly based cash transfer of five thousand naira to poor and vulnerable household with the sole aim of lifting them out of poverty.
The Minister added that Kebbi state has received a total sum of N1,056,200,000.00 (One Billion, Fifty-Six Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) from the Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer Programme from inception to date impacting the lives of 76,804 poor and vulnerable household where five local government areas are currently benefiting from the programme, they are Jega, Gwandu, Bagudo, Shanga and Danko/Wasagau Local Government Areas.
A total number of 4,200 are to benefit from the cash grant of 20,000 each.
The scheme has been designed to deliver firmly and accessible cash transfer to benefitting households for economic viabilities and enhance their health and nutritional status.
It is also aimed at improving school enrolment and attendance, environmental sanitation and management, encourage household financial and asset acquisition and engage beneficiaries to attain sustainable livelihood.
Hajiya Sadiya urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity to increase their income, improve their food security and living standard.
The minister was confident that the support and cooperation of Governor Atiku Bagudu and other stakeholders in the state, designed to lifting one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty as envisaged by President Muhammadu Buhari would be actualised.
She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for placing priority to alleviating the plight of the poor and vulnerable persons in the country, which has been the reason and initiating social investment programme SIP.
According to her, “since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration in 2015, Government has paid more attention to protecting and promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country”.
“This informed the decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as a strategy for enhancing social inclusion and protection of the most vulnerable segments of our society. The NSIP, made up of CCT, N-Power, GEEP, National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, YESSO and CSDP which is one the largest social protection programmes in Africa since its introduction in 2016,” the Minister said.
In his remarks, Governor Abubakar Bagudu recalled that the Minister visited the state in 2020 to sympathising with the victims of flood during which she distributed relief materials to those affected with a promise to return with additional assistance which has been fulfilled.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Babale Umar Yauri, the Governor said the state government believed in rightful uprightness and good purpose of averring that the social development programme, has impacted positively on the lives of poor and all Nigerians.
The governor advised the beneficiaries to utilise the funds judiciously for the target objective.
Senator Bagudu informed the gathering that Kebbi state has also been providing scour to rural women, adding that 350 women entrepreneurs, received thirty thousand naira each recently.
Nnenna.O
The program is well intended, But the distribution should be made more transparent. Cash distributions is unacceptable in finance rules as anything is possible.
Kudos to the government.