By Milcah Tanimu
Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, announced on Thursday that 25 million Nigerians have received ₦25,000 through the government’s conditional cash transfer program.
During a briefing after the National Economic Council meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Edun outlined the administration’s efforts to provide relief to citizens following the subsidy removal and other significant policy changes implemented by President Bola Tinubu.
He reported that five million households have benefited from the direct cash transfer program. In the past five days alone, approximately 11,000 beneficiaries have received ₦3.5 billion from the consumer credit scheme.
Additionally, Edun revealed that over ₦90 billion has been disbursed to 500,000 Nigerian students through the student loan scheme, aimed at supporting their education.
The government also addressed the recent devastating floods that have claimed the lives of at least 321 Nigerians across 34 states. Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, highlighted that more than 1.2 million people have been displaced, with over one million homes affected and substantial agricultural damage reported.
The National Economic Council expressed its condolences over the flooding disaster and urged immediate action to alleviate the suffering of those impacted.