FG resumes conditional cash transfer in Niger, Sokoto

The federal government says it has resumed payments to poor households in the country under its conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme.

The CCT supports poor and vulnerable households in Nigeria with N5,000 per month, to improve consumption and reducing poverty.

Flagging off the programme on Friday in Niger state, Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, said the FG has commenced the disbursement of N44 million to 1,997 poor households in Bosso LGA of the state.

”N20,000 was disbursed to each of the 1,997 beneficiaries, out of which 495 are given additional top-up totalling N30,000 per beneficiary,” NAN quoted Farouq to have said.

”This is the conditional cash transfer to beneficiaries to help improve household consumption and enhance human capital, while protecting households from shock”.

The minister, who was represented by Hajiya Hadiza Shiru, head of conditional cash transfer unit in Niger state, said that the second component of the programme, involves beneficiaries being given additional N5,000 stipends in order to address a specific deficiency in their human capital development.

Also, Jafar Ibrahim-Yabo, national project accountant, who represented the humanitarian minister, flagged off the disbursement of monthly stipend of N5,000 to beneficiaries of the CCT programme in Tambuwal LGA of Sokoto state.

Ibrahim-Yabo said 3,165 beneficiaries from six LGAs of Sokoto would obtain the payment in the present cycle of disbursement.

He added that in the next cycle, no fewer than 75,000 beneficiaries will be targeted.

The accountant said that the gesture would surely continue to improve household consumption and enhance the economy of the communities, among other benefits.

Also, the Abia state government said it has so far disbursed over N630 million to 9,347 beneficiaries of the FG’s conditional cash transfer in six LGAs of the state.

According to NAN, Okeziem Nwoko, head of conditional cash transfer unit in Abia state, said the money was disbursed during the first and second cycle of the programme, covering September 2018 when it began to August 2020.

He said the third cycle, which was divided into three categories, started on Friday, with the first to cover September- December 2020.

He said that each beneficiary was entitled to N20,000, with all totalling N186.9 million.

Nwoko said the second category would cover January, February, March and April, while the third category would cover May and June to complete the cycle.

He said the subsequent payment cycle would cover 22,815 beneficiaries, which would include the December additional enrolment.