By Daniel Edu
In an effort to expand the reach of its Conditional Cash Transfer scheme, the Federal Government is revamping the National Social Register to include pensioners and ex-servicemen. The scheme is also removing beneficiaries who have risen above the poverty line.
Furthermore, the government is taking steps to remove deceased beneficiaries from the register and will disqualify individuals without National Identification Numbers (NIN) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).
It has been reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will begin making direct payments to beneficiaries, with the initial batch of bulk payments scheduled to start next week for five million households.
The Conditional Cash Transfer scheme is a crucial part of the Federal Government’s National Social Investment Programme, designed to uplift the living standards of millions of Nigerians in extreme poverty and stimulate economic growth.
In a ceremony commemorating the 2023 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, President Bola Tinubu launched a social safety net intervention, disbursing N25,000 to 15 million households over three months. This initiative aims to mitigate the impact of the recent removal of fuel subsidies and to combat poverty nationwide.
Providing more insight into the program, Rasheed Olanrewaju, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, stated that the cash transfer scheme had undergone a comprehensive review and expansion. When questioned about using the old register, Olanrewaju clarified, “We are using a verified expanded register that has pensioners and veterans, as well as other vulnerable persons who were not captured.”
Confirming this, Jamaldeen Kabir, National Communications Manager of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, explained that beneficiaries who had surpassed the poverty threshold were being removed from the register. Kabir added, “The expansion will also include the wives of fallen heroes and pensioners.”
Regarding the start date of cash transfers, Olanrewaju mentioned that while bulk payments would commence next week, some verified beneficiaries had already started receiving payment alerts. “The cash transfer (scheme) has been launched, and once a household is verified, they get paid,” he noted.
To ensure the program’s integrity, measures have been implemented, including verifying recipients’ NIN and BVN, and payments are made directly from the CBN to beneficiaries, eliminating intermediaries.
When asked about the number of deceased recipients, Olanrewaju replied, “We have struck off many names following the verification. The final figure will be out in weeks; it may run into millions. Some are dead; some are no longer in that category (of the poor) and some could not be identified at locations given.”
The Federal Government is committed to eradicating poverty as part of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with poverty eradication, food security, economic growth, and job creation as top priorities. A range of initiatives, such as investing in transportation and farmland cultivation, have been launched to improve food security and support small enterprises.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, emphasized the importance of support from all stakeholders, including the private sector and development partners, in Nigeria’s drive to eliminate poverty. She praised conditional cash transfers as a proven means to alleviate poverty and give households the financial support needed to improve their lives.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is committed to pulling vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty by 2030, and the cash transfer program is a significant step toward achieving this goal.
