The Federal Government yesterday disbursed N70m to 3,500 poor and vulnerable women in Ogun State to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic and economic hardship in the land.
The money was disbursed during the flag off distribution of the FG Special Cash Grant for rural women Project at Obasanjo Complex, Abeokuta, Ogun State, through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
One of the beneficiaries is a physically challenged Kafayat Okesola, from Abeokuta.
The symbolic presentation of the N20,000:00 cash grant to her was performed by the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who advised the beneficiaries not to spend the money frivolously.
The Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouk, while addressing the beneficiaries which cut across 20 local governments in the state, said the cash grant was meant to ease the plights of the rural dwellers.
Sadiya Farouk disclosed that 12million Nigerian households have benefited from President Muhammadu Buhari – led administration’s social investment scheme in the last five years, including
N5000.00 cash disbursement to one million indigent persons , the N-Power programme which provided temporary income-generating opportunities for 500,000 unemployed youths and 8,612,457 primary 1-3 pupils in public schools who are currently receiving one meal per day under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
The Minister who was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali, said the policy formed part of the commitment of the President to lift 100million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“Since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration in 2015, the Federal Government has paid more attention to addressing the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country despite the economic slump and glaring revenue challenges. This is because poverty reduction has become a major objective of governments all over the world.
“This informed the decision by Mr. President to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as a strategy for reducing poverty and enhancing social inclusion. The NSIP is adjudged as the largest social protection programme in Africa with over $1billion earmarked annually to cause positive changes in the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country.
“ It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and peri-urban areas of the country. A cash grant of N20,000.00 will be disbursed to about 125,000 poor women across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Our target in Ogun State is to disburse the grant to about 3,500 beneficiaries across all Local Government Councils. The grant is expected to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries. It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of the grant to generally contribute towards improving their living standard,” she said.
