The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to disburse cash transfers to 2.2 million poor and vulnerable households across the country before the end of August.
According to Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tanko Sununu, the initiative aims to alleviate poverty and provide financial relief to those in need.
Sununu, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said over two million poor households had been captured in the social net as they would receive the government’s cash transfer soon.
“In the next few days to come, before the end of August, we are going to reach out to 2.2 million households.
“The process is such that the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) will now harvest vulnerable Nigerians based on their lowest cadre in the national social register,” the minister said.
He explained that the current administration had carried out interventions for the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Sununu noted that significant progress had been made under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, with hundreds of billions already disbursed.
“For those Nigerians, it is a rapid conditional cash transfer. So far, we have disbursed N419 billion to five million Nigerians.
“We have distributed 71 per cent in the Northern part and 21 per cent in the Southern part of the country,” the minister said.
Sununu also noted that NASSCO would identify beneficiaries based on the national social register, targeting the most vulnerable Nigerians.
He added that the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), would oversee the implementation of the cash transfer programme.
”State governments and local authorities will work with NSIPA to identify eligible households and ensure funds reach the intended beneficiaries. ”
The cash transfer programme is part of the government’s broader efforts to address poverty and economic hardship in Nigeria.
By providing direct financial support to vulnerable households, the government aims to improve livelihoods and contribute to economic stability.
The programme aimed to provide direct financial support to the poorest citizens and lay the foundation for sustainable poverty reduction.
