Rahma Ahmed
By Ahmed Rahma
The federal government has approved the payment of N5,000 to one million Nigerian for the next six months to cushion the effects of COVID-19.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs of Disaster Management and Social Development, Mrs Sadiya Umar-Faruk, disclosed this on Wednesday in Katsina.
The Minister was in the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari for the launch of the N20,000 cash grant by FG targeted at over 160,000 poor and vulnerable rural women for the same purpose.
According to Mrs Umar-Faruk, the FG, in partnership with the World Bank, had designed a safety net programme for Nigeria, including cash transfer and COVID-19 rapid response register.
“The federal government, in partnership with World Bank, had designed a safety net programme for Nigeria, that included cash transfer, as well as a COVID-19 rapid response register.
“The President has approved one million beneficiaries in the country to be given another N5,000 for the next six months to cushion the effects of COVID-19. This time around, we are going to target the urban poor and the artisans who lost their small businesses as a result of the pandemic,” she said.
Speaking further said, “We are targeting over 160,000 poor and vulnerable rural women in Nigeria for the N20,000 grant to uplift their economic status. Our rural women with disabilities will also be included.
“It is my hope that the beneficiaries will use this opportunity to increase their income, enhance their food security and contribute toward improving their families.
“The N20,000, will go a long way in supporting any serious woman to start a business. What is most important is how judiciously you utilise the money,” she said at the event where 6,800 rural women are pencilled to benefit from the grant.
“Over N9.5 billion was received by Katsina State, under the Conditional Cash Transfer programme from the inception of this administration to date,” the Minister further revealed.
She added that, “These grants had impacted on the lives of over 142,474 vulnerable households in the state, as 12 local governments were currently benefitting from the programme.
The minister listed the benefitting local governments to include, Bakori, Batagarawa, Baure, Bindawa, Dandume, Ingawa, Kaita, Kankara, Mani, Musawa, Rimi and Danmusa.
In his remarks, the state Deputy Governor, Mr Mannir Yakubu, who represented Gov. Aminu Masari, at the occasion, commended the Federal Government for the grant.
Mr Yakubu pointed out that the government had done so much through its social intervention programme, to uplift the living condition of people in the country, since its inception, urging the beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the grant to enhance their livelihoods.
