Nasarawa State Government said it is working on modalities to replicate other components of the Federal Government’s Social Intervention Programme (SIP), with a view to expanding the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer already domesticated in the state.
Governor Abdullahi Sule made this known while flagging off the Federal Government Cash Grant to Vulnerable Groups, as well as Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0), in Lafia, on Friday.
With the Conditional Cash Transfer already domesticated in the state, with beneficiaries receiving N5000 monthly stipend, the Governor said his administration will expand the scope of the beneficiaries by replicating other SIPs, in line with the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS).
He added that, in a bid to ensure the protection and safety of children in the state, his administration has also domesticated the At-Risk Children Programme of the Federal Government, with the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, already concluding arrangement to engage youths to serve as facilitators of the programme.
Engineer Sule noted that, Nasarawa State has also keyed into the Nigeria for Women Project.
He reiterated the resolve of his administration to continue to evolve measures with a view to addressing unemployment and improving the living conditions of the poorest of the poor.
This, the Governor said, is aimed at tackling the pervasive poverty prevalent in the society, with the sole purpose of repositioning the economic status of the people in order to accelerate growth and development.
Engineer Sule appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for giving Nasarawa State the opportunity to benefit from all the Social Intervention Programmes of the Federal Government.
He equally acknowledged the efforts of the FG through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for alleviating the plight of less privileged in the society, in line with the thrust of the President Buhari administration to lift 100m Nigerians out of poverty.
In her speech, Minister, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, disclosed that, 4793 persons will benefit from the disbursement, out of the 25, 000 earmarked to benefit from the programme in Nasarawa State.
Represented at the event by Dr. Abubakar Suleiman, Director, Disaster Management at the ministry, the minister explained that, the beneficiaries comprises of mostly women, people with special needs and senior citizens who are not financially viable, with the FG disbursing to them a one-off N20,000 grant.
“Our target in Nasarawa State is to disburse the grant to more than 4739 beneficiaries across the 13 local government areas in the state out of which 70% of the beneficiaries must be women, 30% youths and 15% out of the 3,000 must be persons with special needs,” the minister said.
In her goodwill message, Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Rufai Ibrahim, lamented the plight of women who she said, suffer from neglect and discrimination, leaving them vulnerable and financially incapacitated.
Hajiya Rufai Ibrahim however, commended the Federal Government for initiating the Social Intervention Programme, which is reversing the trend by uplifting women status through provision of incentives to better their living conditions.
Earlier, in a welcome address, Hon. Imran Usman Jibrin, SSA on Humanitarian Services/Focal Person NSIP Nasarawa State, revealed that, about 34,000 youths had been empowered in the state through the N-Power programme of N30,000 monthly stipend for 2 years.
On the Conditional Cash Transfer, the NSIP Focal Person, explained that over 48,684 people had benefitted from the programme’ across the 6 pilot local government areas since 2017, adding that; 194,000 pupils were fed by the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme so far in Nasarawa State.
Similarly, Hon. Imran pointed out that 52,000 women benefitted from the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0) in Nasarawa state thus far.
At the event, Governor Sule performed the symbolic presentation of cheques to benefiaries of Trader-moni, Market-moni and FarmeMoni.