FG Committed To Lifting 100m Nigerians Out Of Poverty In Ten Years: Minister

 

The Federal government says it is on track to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years through job creation, empowerment schemes and increase access to financial capital required for economic activities.

The Minister for Humanitarian affairs Sadiya Faruq disclosed this at a flag-off ceremony for cash grant disbursement of 20 thousand naira each to 250 women in Taraba state with 150,000 vulnerable women targeted across the federation.

”The Cash grant is one of the numerous social interventions of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government aimed at uplifting the most vulnerable groups out of poverty,” she said.

”Since the inception of President Buhari’s administration, in 2015 the government has paid more attention to protecting and promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable persons in the country and this informed the decision to initiate the national social investment programme as a strategy for enhancing the social inclusion of the most vulnerable segments of our society.

”Since, its introduction in 2016 it has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable persons in Nigeria.

”Many of such people have had a complete turn around in their lives.”

Represented by the Director Legal Services, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Barr Garba Haganawega, the Minister insisted that the national social investment programme is a strategy for enhancing the social inclusion of the most vulnerable segments of Nigerian society.

”The aim is to deliver timely and accessible cash transfers to beneficiary’s household, which will lead to improved households consumption, increase utilization of health and nutrition services, improve school enrollment and attendants,” the Minister noted.

Others are to improve environmental sanitation and management, encourage household financial and asset acquisition as well as engage beneficiaries in sustainable livelihood.

On the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, the minister said the federal government has enrolled 17,803 vulnerable persons and ten local government areas have benefited with 2 billion, 83 million, 96 thousand naira.

The special cash grant for rural women programme was introduced in the year 2020 by the ministry of Humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development as part of President Buhari’s social inclusion and poverty reduction agenda including the realisation of national aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years.

”It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural Nigeria.

”The grant of 20 thousand naira will be disbursed to over 150,000 poor rural women across the federation.”

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

”It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of this opportunity to increase their income, enhance food security and genuinely contribute towards improving their living standard.”

Earlier, the delegation had paid a courtesy visit on the state deputy Governor Haruna Manu where he assured them of the state government’s readiness to collaborate with the federal government to ensure that beneficiaries are well selected for the purpose intended.

He is optimistic that the cash grant disbursement programme will go a long way in impacting the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Taraba positively.

”The programme is coming at the right time, especially now that the recession and pandemic of COVID-19 is with us ”

”On our part in Taraba state, I want to assure you that we will make sure that we collaborate with you to ensure that beneficiaries of this programme are well selected and success achieved ”

For the beneficiaries, they are hopeful that the programme will be all-encompassing and not selective as was the case in some of the social investment programmes in the state.

They also expressed satisfaction with the federal government’s gesture especially for considering their strata in the society.