The Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has flagged off the disbursement of N20,000 Federal Government Grant for Rural Women Project in Katagum, the capital of Azare Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The Minister disclosed that the grant of N20,000.00 will be disbursed to over 150,000 poor rural women across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to her it is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural Nigeria.
The Minister who was represented by the Deputy Director, Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar, said the grant for rural women programme was introduced in 2020 by the Ministry as part of President Muhammadu Buhari social inclusion and poverty reduction agenda, including the realisation of the national aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
The Minister also stated that since the inception of President Buhari’s Administration in 2015, the Federal government has been committed to the protection and promotion of the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country.
“This informed the decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as a strategy for enhancing social inclusion. NSIP is one of the largest social protection programmes in Africa. Since 2016, it has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria.
“The Conditional Cash Transfer Programme commenced in September 2016 with the aim of responding to deficiencies in capacity and lack of investment in human capital of poor and vulnerable households.
“The Programme is designed to deliver timely and accessible cash transfers to beneficiary households and sets to support development objectives and priorities, to increase access to financial capital required for economic activities, improve household consumption, increase in utilization of health and nutrition services, improve school enrolment and attendance, improve environmental sanitation and management, encourage household financial and asset acquisition and engage beneficiaries in sustainable livelihood”
Continuing, the Minister said “The programme provides targeted monthly Base Cash Transfer of N5,000 to poor and vulnerable households with the sole aim of graduating them out of poverty. The Conditional Cash Transfer program in Bauchi State was intended to improve the socio-economic and livelihood of over 54,738 Poor and Vulnerable Households enrolled across 16 local government Areas of Gamawa, Tafawa Balewa, Alkaleri, Darazau, Bogoro, Zaki, Warji, Ningi, Katagun, Kirfi, Jamaare, Dambam, Dass, Itas Gadau, Misau and Toro; with a total disbursement to date of N2,987,360,000.
Farouq enjoined the beneficiaries of the programme to make good use of the opportunity to increase their income, enhance their food security, and generally contribute towards improving their living standard.
“We believe with the complementary effort of His Excellency, Bala Muhammed (Kauran Bauchi), the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, the target beneficiaries will be on their way out of poverty to prosperity. I am optimistic that with support and cooperation of Your Excellency and other stakeholders present here, we can lift 100 million out of poverty by 2030” she stated.
The Emir of Katagum, Alhaji Umar Faruk II, represented by Makaman Katagum, Alhaji Aliyu Hussaini, commended the Federal Government for the wonderful initiative, citing it as a life-changing gesture for the people living below the poverty line.
Rhoda Ishaku Iliya
Deputy Director Information
