From Dauda Illiya (Borno)
Federal government has enrolled over 12,000 poor and vulnerable households from thirteen local government areas of Borno state into the Conditional Cash Transfer programme.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Hajiya Sadiya Farouq made this known during the launch of special cash grant for rural women in Maiduguri.
The local government areas that benefitted from the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme include, Konduga, Gubio, Magumeri, Hawul, Shani, Mafa and Maiduguri Metropolitan.
Others are, Chibok, Mobbar, Kaga, Jere, Askira Uba and Dikwa.
Hajiya Sadiya Farouq said Internally Displaced Persons in Gonikachallari, Bakasi and NYSC camps would also benefitted from the cash transfer programme to ease their hardship due to the protracted Boko Haram insurgency.
According to the Minister, the cash grant for rural women is part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s social inclusion and poverty reduction agenda designed to lift one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years.
“It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural Nigeria. A grant of 20,000 naira will be disbursed to over 150,000 poor rural women across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The grant is expected to increase access to financial capital required for economic activities”.
She urged the beneficiaries to make better use of the opportunity to improve their living standard.
Borno state Governor, Babagana Zulum represented by the Head of Service, Mr Simon Malgwi noted that the cash support will undoubtedly ease the hardship faced the victims of the decade-long insurgency.
The Governor observed that the assistance would greatly help in the resettlement effort of the state government.
Three of the beneficiaries from Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities Fatsuma Abdullahi, Aisha Shehu and Amina Mukhtar, thanked federal government for the support and promised to use it to increase their income.