COV/AMINU DALHATU
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Hajiya Sadiya Faruk Umar says Cash grant of twenty thousand naira will be disbursed to about 125000 poor women across 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory.
She stated this while flagging off the Rural Women Cash grant Programme and Symbolic Disbursement held in Kaduna.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Bashir Nura Alkali explained that, Social Investment Programme had impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria as over twelve million households have benefited in the last five years.
It is in view of this that, President Mohammadu Buhari approved the expansion of the programme to touch more lives and lift Nigerians above the poverty breadline.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar Faruk noted that, Since the inception of the administration, federal government had paid more attention to addressing the plight of the poor and vulnerables despite revenue challenges.
The Minister pointed out that, their target was to disburse the grant to over 4000 beneficiaries across the 23 Local Government areas of Kaduna State.
According to her, the grant is expected to increase income and productive assets beneficiaries and expressed hope that, they would make good use of the grant to contribute towards improving their living standard.
She however maintained that, with the complimentary effort of Kaduna State government, the target beneficiaries would be adequately covered within the next few days.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar Faruk gave an assurance that federal government would remain on the track of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.
In a remark, Deputy governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Balarabe said the decision of the federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to provide the grant to rural women was timely considering the Covid 19 pendemic in the state.
Dr Hadiza Balarabe said enrollment of additional 46,326 households was presently ongoing across the 23 Local Government areas of the state initiated by the State government.
Some of the beneficiaries in an interview with Radio Nigeria expressed appreciation to federal government for the gesture and pledged to use it judiciously to boost their Businesses.