N20,000 cash grant: FG targets 160,000 vulnerable women

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

The Federal Government has disclosed that it is targeting over 160,000 poor and vulnerable rural women to benefit from the N20,000 cash grant across the country.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Faruk, made the disclosure during the flag off ceremony of the grant yesterday in Katsina.
“We are targeting over 160,000 poor and vulnerable rural women in Nigeria for the N20,000 grant, to uplift their economic status.
“Our rural women with disability will also be included.
“It is my hope that the beneficiaries will use this opportunity to increase their income, enhance their food security and contribute toward improving their families,” she said.
The minister also said that the Federal Government, in partnership with World Bank, designed a Safety Nets programme for Nigeria under the National Safety Nets.
Umar-Faruk said that programme included cash transfer as well as Covid-19 rapid response register.
“The President has approved 1 million beneficiaries in the country to be given another N5,000 for the next six months to cushion the effects of the Covid-19.
“This time around, we are going to target the urban poor, the artisans who lost their small businesses as a result of Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
Umar-Faruk further revealed that 6,800 rural women would benefit from the cash grant in Katsina State.
“The N20,000, will go along way in supporting any serious woman to start a business.
“What is most important is how you judiciary utilized the money,
“That is in realisation of the President agenda of uplifting 100 Nigerians out of the poverty in the next 10 years,” she said.
The minister said that over N9.5 billion was received by the Katsina State under the Conditional Cash Transfer programme from the inception of the administration to date.
According to her, the grants had impacted on the lives of over 142,474 vulnerable households in the state.