BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – The Federal Government remains on track to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years’ time through job creation, empowerment schemes and increase access to financial capital required for economic activities.
Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Faruq announced this at a flag off ceremony for cash grant disbursement of 20 thousand naira each to 250 women in Taraba State with 150,000 vulnerable women targeted across the federation.
According to Faruq; ” The cash grant is one of the numerous social interventions of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government aimed at uplifting the most vulnerable groups out of poverty.
“Since the inception of President Buhari’s administration in 2015, the government has paid more attention to protecting and promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable persons in the country and this informed the decision to initiate the national social investment programme as a strategy for enhancing social inclusion of the most vulnerable segments of our society.
“Since its introduction in 2016, it has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable persons in Nigeria. Many of such people have complete turnaround in their lives”.
Represented by the Director, Legal services, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Garba Haganawega, the Minister insists that the national social investment programme is a strategy for enhancing social inclusion of the most vulnerable segments of Nigerian society.
She further said; “The aim is to deliver timely and accessible cash transfers to beneficiary’s household, which will lead to improved households consumption, increase utilization of health and nutrition services, improve school enrollment and attendants”.
Others are to improve environmental sanitation and management, encourage household financial and asset acquisition as well as engage beneficiaries in sustainable livelihood.
The minister said that with the conditional cash transfer programme, the Federal government has already enrolled 17, 803 vulnerable persons just as 10 Local Government Areas have benefited with about N2.84 billion.
The special cash grant for rural women programme was introduced in the year 2020 by the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as part of President Buhari’s social inclusion and poverty reduction agenda including the realisation of national aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years.
“It is designed to provide one off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural Nigeria. The grant of 20 thousand naira will be disbursed to over 150,000 poor rural women across the federation”.
The grant is also expected to increase access to financial capital required for economic activities.
“It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of this opportunity to increase their income, enhance food security and genuinely contribute towards improving their living standard,” she said.
