The Federal Government has shored up its National Cash Transfer programme to reach 15 million vulnerable citizens, with the Oyo State Government making efforts to ensure indigent residents benefit from the initiative.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Toyin Balogun, stated this during a stakeholders’ sensitisation and awareness meeting on the National Social Safety Nets Programme – Scale-Up, held at DSC Hotel, Iyaganku Government Reserved Area in Ibadan, the state capital.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Mofoluwake Ibitoye, Balogun maintained that social protection remained a vital strategy in tackling poverty and economic vulnerability.
The commissioner noted that the state Cash Transfer Unit had made significant progress in reaching targeted households and lifting many out of extreme poverty.
The commissioner said: “The stakeholder meeting was convened to deepen understanding of the programme’s objectives, strengthen collaboration, promote effective community sensitisation, and enhance the visibility and acceptance of this impactful initiative.
“The scaled-up programme, coordinated by the National Cash Transfer Office in Abuja, will now provide N25,000 in three tranches to each of the 15 million beneficiaries, including those listed in the state’s segment of the National Social Register’’.
She lauded Governor Seyi Makinde of the state for his unwavering support of social welfare and lauded the dedication of cash transfer officers for their patriotism and integrity in executing the programme.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on General Intervention and Donor Funds, Mrs Aderonke Adedayo, who was represented by Mrs Temitope Fagbola, said: “Over 150,000 households in the state have already benefited from the programme in the last six months.
“The funds were paid directly into verified accounts linked to beneficiaries’ National Identification Numbers and Bank Verification Numbers to ensure transparency.
“Though the amount may seem modest, it represents a meaningful investment in the well-being of our people and a clear statement of hope from the government’’.
Also speaking, the state Programme Manager, Akintunde Gbadamosi, said only individuals listed on the state Social Register and with valid NINs are eligible for support.
Gbadamosi said the state is working to simplify the disbursement process by linking beneficiaries to debit cards and personal bank accounts that receive funds directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Officials from the National Orientation Agency [NOA], the National Identity Management Commission [NINC], and the Department of State Services [DSS], in their separate goodwill messages, lauded the programme, describing it as timely and impactful in light of the ongoing economic challenges caused by fuel subsidy removal and currency volatility. They stated that injection into small-scale businesses through the scheme would boost the local economy.
