The Federal Government of Nigeria has relaunched its conditional cash transfer program, aiming to support 15 million households and an estimated 75 million individuals.
This initiative, which was previously suspended due to allegations of corruption, provides ₦25,000 per household each month, distributed three times annually.
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The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, explained that the program seeks to ease the financial strain on vulnerable Nigerians.
The relaunch of the scheme at this time coincides with the current needless death of over 60 Nigerians from stampede occurring at various distribution venues in Ibadan, Okija and Abuja where charities dole out foodstuff to indigent and hungry Nigerians.
To ensure effective management and transparency, the government now requires all beneficiaries to possess digital identities, a move introduced following new policies by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
So far, the programme has reached five million people, but only 1.4 million beneficiaries are registered with digital IDs.
The minister acknowledged that many targeted individuals are unbanked, presenting challenges in expanding the reach of the scheme.
Despite these hurdles, efforts are ongoing to sanitize the national social register and improve accessibility for the most affected.
Women are being prioritized as heads of households in the program, with the rationale that they are better positioned to manage resources for the benefit of children and other vulnerable family members.
This targeted approach, according to the minister, ensures that the financial assistance reaches those who need it most.
The programme, initially suspended in January due to corruption concerns, was revamped and restarted in February.
The government also plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households in the coming months.
This measure is part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader strategy to address the economic challenges faced by Nigerians, particularly those at the lower end of the economic spectrum.