Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development

The Federal Government has said that no fewer than 76, 804 vulnerable households in Kebbi have received N1,056 billion from its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programme from 2016 till date.

Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster and Social Management, disclosed this on Thursday in Birnin-Kebbi at the inauguration of Special Cash Grant for Rural Women programme.

“Kebbi 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 CCT programme from inception till date, impacting the lives of 76,804 Poor and Vulnerable Households (PVHHs).

“Five local government areas are currently benefiting from the Federal Government CCT programme in Kebbi and they are Jega, Gwandu, Bagudo, Shanga, and Dango/Wasagu.

“The social register is being expanded to cater for more poor and vulnerable households in Kebbi,” she said.

According to the minister, the Federal Government, in partnership with the World Bank, designed and developed a safety net programme for Nigeria under the platform of the National Social Safety Net Project (NASSP).

Umar- Farouq added the conditional cash transfer programme commenced in September 2016 with the aim of responding to deficiencies in capacity and lack of investment in human capital of poor and vulnerable households.

“The programme is designed to deliver timely and accessible cash transfers to beneficiary households with the aim of improving household consumption and an increase in the utilisation of health and nutrition services.

“It is also aimed at improving school enrolment, attendance, environmental sanitation and management and to encourage households financial and asset acquisition, as well as engage beneficiaries to attain sustainable livelihood,” she said.

Umar-Farouq said the CCT programme provided targeted monthly-based cash transfers of N5,000 to poor and vulnerable households, with the sole aim of graduating them out of poverty.

“The Special Cash Grant for Rural Women programme being inaugurated today was introduced in 2020 by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s social inclusion and poverty reduction agenda, including the realisation of the national aspiration 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 women in rural Nigeria.

“A grant of N20,000 each will be disbursed to over 150,000 poor rural women across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

“The grant is expected to increase access to financial capital required for economic activities.

“A total number of 4,200 beneficiaries are to benefit from the cash grant of N20,000 each to uplift the socio-economic status of the rural women in Kebbi,” she said.

The minister urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity to increase their income, enhance their food security and contribute toward improving their living standards.

“I am also optimistic that with the support and cooperation of the governor and other stakeholders present here we can lift 100 million out of poverty by 2030 as envisioned by President Buhari,” the minister said.

In his remarks, Gov. Atiku Bagudu recalled that the minister visited the state in 2020 to commiserate with victims of floods and distributed relief materials to the victims, adding that the minister promised to come back with different assistance to the people.

He said the state government believed in the rightfulness and good purpose of the social development programmes as they would impact positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable households in the state in particular and the country at large.

The governor, who was represented by the State Secretary to the Government, Alhaji Babale Umar-Yauri, urged the beneficiaries to utilise the money for the purpose it was given in order to assist in actualising the Federal Government’s target of lifting 100 million citizens out of poverty.