The Federal government has earmarked N3 billion conditional cash transfer for 150,000 poor women from the 36 states in the country.
Already, the government has disbursed N20,000 to poor women resident in rural communities of Bauchi State.
The conditional cash transfer is designed to provide succour for the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural communities.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Paulen Tallen, during the first phase of the disbursement of the funds to beneficiaries in Bauchi State, said over 1,000 women are expected to receive the grant.
Tallen explained the criteria for identifying the beneficiaries and added that women numbering 200 have so far enjoyed the funds in Bauchi Local Government.
“We identified those into petty trading, widows, and the vulnerable. We identified those with small businesses. It is based on these factors that the beneficiaries are identified,” the Women Affairs Minister told Channels Television.
Wife of Bauchi Governor, Aishat Mohammed commended the decision of the Federal Government noting that empowering women is significant to empowering a nation.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released report reveals that 40 per cent of Nigeria’ss population, or almost 83 million people, live below the poverty line and 52% of these live in rural areas.
The Federal Government earlier in April disbursed Conditional Cash Transfer to indigent households (poor) at the Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
This was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to help reduce the effect of lockdown following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, said the Federal Government was giving out N20,000 per person for the next four months starting from March 2020.
