By Chimezie Godfrey
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq has said the Federal Government is set to implement the grant for vulnerable Groups in the country.
Minister Farouq revealed this Tuesday in Abuja, at a Media Parley ”With Stakeholders’ on the Implementation of the Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG),.
She noted that the GVG programme which will be implemented through the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) is part of President Muhammadu Buharis’s social inclusion and poverty reduction agenda.
She pointed out that since the inception of the present administration in 2015, the Federal Government has paid more attention to promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country.
Farouq stressed that despite the economic slump the administration inherited, the NSIP prorgramme has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria, adding that she has personally witnessed the life-changing experiences of people who lived below the poverty line and those that are vulnerable to shocks.
She recalled that the program which was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Buhari’s Administration is consistent with the national target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
She therefore declared that the ministry is working with critical stakeholders to commence the disbursement of the funds starting from the FCT.
She said,”In line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s social inclusion, 70% of the total number of beneficiaries is for women while the remaining 30% is for the men. In addition, about 15% of the total number of beneficiaries is specifically allocated to the segment of the population with special needs, including Persons with Disability (PWDs) and senior citizens in the Country, forcibly displaced persons (internally displaced persons, returnees, etc), Widows and orphans. The Programme is targeted at poor rural and peri-urban women and men within the productive age of 18 and above.
“The Ministry is working with critical Ministries, Department and Departments (MDA)s, State Government as well as NGOs/CSOs relevant stakeholders to identify, select and mobilize beneficiaries.
“The Ministry has engaged the services of Payment Service Providers (PSPs), all registered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for disbursement of funds. The cash grant of N20,000.00 is paid to target beneficiaries using physical payment and through bank accounts or wallets.
“We shall be flagging off disbursement in FCT on Thursday, 28th July, 2022 and thereafter, the programme will be rolled out in all 36 States and FCT according to time schedule..”
The Minister further explained that fund is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and peri-urban areas of the country.
“A cash grant of N20,000.00 will be disbursed to poor women and men across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The main objective of the GRW programme is to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries.
“The specific objectives are to increase access to financial capital required for economic and income-generating activities.
“”Promote financial inclusion among unbanked and underserved populations; and
“Contribute towards improving their living standard,” she said.
She expressed confidence that with government efforts, the target beneficiaries and many more Nigerians will be on their way out of poverty to prosperity and we will, as a country, remain on the track of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.
The NSIP National Coordinator, Dr Umar Bindir noted that the program has reduced poverty which was between 55 to 60% to 40% in Nigeria.
He assured that the Minister is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that corruption is prevented in the implementation of the NSIP across the 36 states of the country, and the FCT.
