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FG begins payment of N5000 to poorest Nigerians in 9 states
The federal government (FG) says it has began the payment of N5, 000 monthly stipends to the poorest and the most vulnerable in the country through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of its Social Investment Programmes, SIP. The exercise is currently taking place in nine states.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, revealed this much via a statement released on Monday.
It noted, amongst others, that “under the CCT, one million Nigerians would receive N5000 monthly payments as a form of social safety net for the poorest and most vulnerable as budgeted for in the 2016 Budget. In the first batch that commenced last week, nine states would be covered, and many of the beneficiaries have already reported receiving their first payments by Friday last week, December 30, 2016.
“Funds for the commencement of the payments in four states were released last week to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) – the platform that hosts and validates payments for all government’s social intervention programmes. Funds for another set of five states to complete the first batch of nine states would follow soon.”
Akande further said, “though the sequence for the payment of the money would be operationally managed by NIBSS, beneficiaries in Borno, Kwara and Bauchi States have started receiving the money. The other states in the first batch to commence the CCT payments are Cross Rivers, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun & Ekiti States.
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“The nine pilot states were chosen because they have an existing Social Register that successfully identified the most vulnerable and poorest Nigerians through a tried and tested community based targeting (CBT) method working with the World Bank.”
The execution of the social investment scheme, a cardinal promise by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), had earlier suffered some delays prompting watchers to query government’s seriousness.
There are, however, concerns over sustainability of the initiative which weigh heavily on government’s declining revenue generation capacity.
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JOHNSON PETER
January 3, 2017 at 8:07 am
We deceive ourselves in this country. How did they manage to gather names for the people to benefit from the social investment program. We are not zombies. Osinbajo is now dubious too may be that was why he has been under presidency’s watch.
Joy Madu
January 3, 2017 at 8:59 am
Don’t insult our most infallible vice president. You know he is a pastor too.
seyi jelili
January 3, 2017 at 8:14 am
I am beginning to doubt the integrity of president buhari. I am sure this money is going to the pocket of the rich and not the poor as they claim. After all how was the names collated if not slots given to ministers, senators and other top government officials who put in the names of their family members there. It’s better they don’t pay this money at all.
chichi emerue
January 3, 2017 at 9:52 am
That’s Nigeria for you. Now we are going to have ghost receivers of the money just like ghost workers.
yanju omotodun
January 3, 2017 at 9:26 am
Buhari needs to stop this payment immediately because we must know how the selection process was done.
Margret Dickson
January 3, 2017 at 9:30 am
Please why is Lagos not included in the first batch? There are many poor people like me in Lagos too and the N5,000 will help our lives
Johnson Amadi
January 3, 2017 at 9:34 am
As a matter of fact, I cannot believe anything that comes from APC or Buhari, I just called a friend in Bauchi to confirm if they got money or not, i was told they only got to know in the news this money and no one has received a kobo from FG yet. Chai!!!Lies everywhere in APC
Animashaun Ayodeji
January 3, 2017 at 9:37 am
“beneficiaries in Borno, Kwara and Bauchi States have started receiving the money,” the question now is, who are the beneficiaries, how were they selected? The last time i checked, virtually all Nigerians are poor!
Roland Uchendu Pele
January 3, 2017 at 9:46 am
I have my reservations over the states chosen as pilot test for the welfare project. Wait. Are there no poor people in the south east?