FG Disburses N16.8bn Cash Grants To Over Two Million Vulnerable Nigerians

The Federal Government has disbursed over N16.8bn as grants and Conditional Cash Transfers to more than two million Nigerians since the commencement of the CCT programme in 2016.

Data obtained from the latest ministerial performance scorecard of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in Abuja on Tuesday, indicated that a total of 2,295,325 citizens benefitted from the CCT and the grants.

“Conditional Cash Transfer has paid 1,940,325 vulnerable persons across the 36 states of the federation, and FCT (Federal Capital Territory) the sum of N5,000 monthly,” the report read in part.

This implies that the government disbursed N9,7bn to the CCT beneficiaries.

The report further stated that “355,000 vulnerable persons have received grant for vulnerable groups of N20,000 in 36 states and the FCT,” implying that about N7.1bn was disbursed in this category.

The report, which was presented by the humanitarian minister, Sadiya Farouq, in Abuja, noted that the CCT implementation activities commenced in 2016 with eight states and three Internally Displaced Persons camps in Borno State.

“The Federal Government funded all components of the CCT until 2018 when the utilisation of IDA (International Development Association) funds commenced.

Enrollment of beneficiaries was paper based. Payment to beneficiaries was through commercial banks,” it stated.

The minister revealed that the co-responsibility component of the scheme commenced implementation in 2017 in 11 states, including Jigawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Niger, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Cross River, Kogi, Anambra and Kwara.

“It is designed to address deficiencies in human capital development among the beneficiaries,” she stated.

Farouq added, “The menu of co-responsibility is focused on health, nutrition, education and environment. States implementing co-responsibility selected only one out of the menu.

“The objective of the co-responsibility component is to increase children’s school enrolment/attendance, improve utilisation of health facilities for ante and post-natal care, child immunisation, improve child nutrition, and address environmental hazards to improve productive assets.”