2,900 rural women across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have received N20, 000 each from the federal government, under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
Speaking Thursday in Abuja, during the flag off of disbursement of the grant for vulnerable group, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, said that rural women in different states of the Federation will also receive the one-off grant.
She said: “The NSIP is one of the largest social protection programmes in Africa with over N400 billion earmarked annually to positively impact the lives of the poor and vulnerable in the country.
“Since its introduction in 2016, the NSIP has changed the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria. I have personally seen the life-changing experiences of many poor people who lived below the poverty line and those that are vulnerable to shocks.
“The Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG) programme was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Buhari’s Administration. It is consistent with the national target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and peri-urban areas of the country. A cash grant of N20,000 is being disbursed to poor women and youths across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.”
She added: “Our target in the FCT is to disburse the grant to over 2,900 beneficiaries across the 6 Area Councils. In line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s social inclusion, 70% of the total number of beneficiaries is for women while the remaining 30% is for the youths. In addition, about 15% of the total number of beneficiaries is specifically allocated to the segment of the population with special needs, including Persons with Disability (PWDs), internally displaced persons (IDPs) and senior citizens in the FCT.
“The cash grant we are disbursing today is expected to increase income and productive assets of the target beneficiaries, especially when economic challenges at global and local levels are affecting the socioeconomic conditions of our people.
“It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of the grant to improve productive activities that would generate more income and improve their living standard. We hope to see petty traders, peasant farmers, artisanal workers and other beneficiaries of this programme including people with disabilities to prosper.
“The target beneficiaries and many more Nigerians in the State will be out of poverty to prosperity and we will, as a country, remain on track of lifting 100 million out of poverty by 2030 as strategized by Mr President.”
Expressing her gratitude, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Elizabeth Lalu, said the grant will help her revive her petty business.
“I sell roasted plantain and yam in Lugbe. I am a grandmother. My business had been going down because of funds, so I am grateful to the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs for this intervention. It means a lot to me. It will go a long way to revive my business,” she said.