The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, announced that the Federal Government has disbursed N25,000 to 3.5 million Nigerians as part of the conditional cash transfer scheme.
She made this statement on Thursday, which is two months after the commencement of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s initiative. The scheme aims to reach 15 million households and is part of efforts to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.
“We have so far paid 3.5 million Nigerians N25,000 each. Of course, we are out on the field and covering another 4.5 million in the next one week so we will have altogether close to about 8 million people between now and the end of the year,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
She mentioned that the ministry has completed the verification of the initial set of beneficiaries and is currently undergoing the same process as the scheme progresses. She added that the list is being extended to include more individuals, such as retirees.
“A total of 480 persons are on that list. They are presently undergoing their in-person verification because if we cannot verify who you are and where you are and that you are below the poverty line, you are not qualified to be on that social register,” the minister said.
Away from the scheme, Edu said the government is paying arrears to N-Power beneficiaries. They were being owed some months’ salaries by the former President Muhammadu Buhari government.
“Presently, a payment for N-Power is ongoing; we were in the office yesterday up until the early hours of this morning, just to ensure that young people get monies which they have been owed from the last government,” she said.
“So, N-Power beneficiaries across the nation, I am sure you can attest to the fact that you are seeing your money in your accounts and this process will continue until the last person who indeed has served is being paid.
“And of course, all of this is being restructured to ensure that we reduce unemployment and create jobs for Nigerians.”