POVERTY ALLEVIATION: FG POISED TO IMPLEMENT SEVERAL INTERVENTION MEASURES- BETTA EDU 17-10-23
BY Sadiq Aminu The Federal Government says it is working towards the deployment of several interventions to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and other economic shocks.
President Bola Tinubu gave this indication in Abuja while launching the government’s Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer programme, targeting 15 million households across the country.
Fuel subsidy removal and other economic policies being implemented by the government have distabilised socio-economic activities of a good number of Nigerians.
Worried about the different shades of hardship citizens have been exposed to by the impact of the policies, the government is introducing safety measures to bolster the situation.
The immediate intervention effected by the government is the disbursement of Conditional Cash Transfer to 15 million households, with each household receiving 25 thousand Naira monthly for 3 months.
This, according to the government, will empower 61 million poor and vulnerable groups to strengthen their capital base.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, President Tinubu listed other measures taken to assist Nigerians navigate through the economic policies.
“Investment of N100 Billion to purchase 3000 units of 20-seater Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered buses for cheaper transportation, investment of N200 Billion to cultivate 500,000 hectares of farmland to improve food security, the release of 2000 metric tons of grains from the strategic grain reserves to households across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory”, he explained.
The President said other measures were the distribution of 225,000 metric tons of fertilizer and seedlings to farmers committed to the nation’s food security, the release of 75 billion to support 100,000 SMEs and start-ups, Renewed Hope Shelter Programme for the Poor, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons targeted at one million households, Renewed Hope Business Grants and Loans for Vulnerable Market women, farmers, and traders to expand their business (GEEP) targeted at 2 million beneficiaries, support to MSME to cover 1 million MSMEs, Skill Acquisition Programmes for young Nigerians with interest in different clusters targeted at 5 million Nigerians over 5 years, and National Home Grown School Feeding Programme for 10 million school children.
The rest, he said, were Alternate School Programme to provide transit learning education for 10 million out of school children due to internal displacement or issues of insecurity, introduction of a programme for Children At Risk, Community and Social Development
Programme for community grassroot projects, and Renewed Hope Job Creation Scheme amongst other people centered initiatives.
President Tinubu called on Nigerians to key into all the available programmes to realise the objectives of their initiation.
The initial beneficiaries of the programme, Jonnah Okor, Hassana Shu’aibu, Bala Gambu, Hamid Isiaku, and Larai Sulaiman, who spoke in Hausa and pidgin English, expressed gratitude for the gesture, and pledged to spend the money wisely.
The launching of the programme coincides with the commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.