To alleviate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal and Nigeria’s challenging economic situation, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun implementing measures to provide a cash transfer of N25,000 to vulnerable households for three months, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Director of FCT Cash Transfer Unit, Mrs. Bunmi Olowokere, disclosed this during a Refresher Training on Beneficiaries Enrollment for NASSP-SU Exercise, organized by the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) on Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer in collaboration with FCT Cash Transfer Unit.
Olowokere clarified that the intervention is a response to the recognition by the federal government that there are individuals whose lives require improvement and need to be supported in various ways.
She noted that some people are living below the poverty line, and the government must ensure the welfare of its citizens by creating an enabling environment for a reasonably comfortable life.
“Not everyone can live like Dangote, but it is the responsibility of the government to ensure citizens have basic necessities such as affordable housing, clean water, food security, access to education for their children, and quality healthcare when needed,” she expressed.
“What we are currently doing is a significant effort by the government to impact citizens’ lives. It is a crucial task. As we enrol people in this program to provide them with stipends, some individuals have never handled this amount of money before,” she added.
“We hope the government will increase the amount, and with the renewed hope of the current administration, we anticipate improvements,” she further stated.
Olowokere also stressed to the facilitators the importance of dedicating themselves to the programme and ensuring that the right beneficiaries are identified and enrolled, avoiding any trivialization of the process.
Mrs. Blessing Adebaki, an AMAC desk officer and facilitator, praised the upgraded refresher training but expressed concern about people’s reluctance to provide their Bank Verification Number (BVN) and other account details.
“However, we have managed to create account details for beneficiaries without existing accounts to alleviate this challenge,” she said.
Mohammed Baba-Isah, a Cash Transfer facilitator from the Abaji area council, highlighted the difficulties in reaching beneficiaries in remote areas due to poor roads and a lack of network services in most communities.