Beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer policy, which kicked off in April this year in Lagos State, have on Tuesday received N10,000 each for the months of May and June this year.
The conditional Cash Transfer Policy, an initiative of the Federal Government to the most vulnerable and indigent of the society, officially flagged off in Lagos State today, August 4th, 2020, at Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the state by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke alongside top federal government functionaries.
This transfer to beneficiaries is coming after the most vulnerable, aged and indigent citizens of the state were enrolled into the first phase of the Cash Transfer initiative in April.
The household caregivers, who will receive the transfer, are meant to use the money for the better living of the household.
Arobieke commended the efforts of the Federal Government, through the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for their support in the establishment of the cash transfer unit in the state.
She further expressed her gratitude to State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his commitment and enormous support in making the implementation a success.
“It is of the essence to mention that the process of enrolment of about 8,147 households captured by the State Cash Transfer Office was approved by the Governor and commenced in the month of April to fast-track a conditional Cash transfer to beneficiary households in order to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable.
According to her, the beneficiaries were painstakingly selected by the Cash Transfer Office in six pilot LGAs and validated through the issuance of identification cards in order to partake in the exercise.
“I will like to appeal to Lagosians that this is a continuous exercise and in case you are yet to be captured in this batch, there are more opportunities that would be cascaded to the rest of the Local Government Areas in the State”, she implored.
Speaking also, the National Programme Coordinator of the Scheme, Dr. Temitope Shinkaye, emphasised that the programme focuses mainly on the poor and vulnerable in the country as identified through a combination of geographic and community-based targeting mechanism.
Represented by Mr. Mohammed Abdullah, the coordinator added that the programme facilitated the transfer of N5,000 per month to the identified beneficiaries, noting that payment is made every two months to eligible households selected from the national social register while the programme also offers capacity building to beneficiaries for empowerment on self reliance.
Abdullahi disclosed that beneficiaries are also trained on life skills and micro-business development in order to engage in viable business activities that will sustain them in future.
He thanked the Lagos State Government for its support and commitment in registering vulnerable households in the State, stressing that it has helped to incorporate them into the Federal Government National Social Register for the vulnerable.
Reacting to the exercise, the Executive Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Mr. Oluseyi Valentino expressed gratitude to the state and the federal government for choosing the LGA as the flag-off point for the initiative.
