A total of 54,197 registered households are expected to benefit from the Federal Government’s Cash Transfer programme in Zamfara State, an official has said.
The National Coordinator of the programme, Dr Temitope Sinkaiye disclosed this in Gusau on Friday at a one-day enrolment training for local government facilitators of the programme in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the coordinator was represented by the National Enrolment Officer of the programme, Hajiya Sadiya Abdullahi.
He said that six Local Government Areas of Anka, Bungudu, Birnin-Magaji, Kaura-Namoda, Tsafe and Talata-Mafara had been selected for the programme.
According to him, the programme is one of the components of social investment programme initiated by President Muhammad Buhari to reduce poverty level among Nigerians.
“This programme focuses on cash transfer assistance and capacity building to the beneficiaries especially at the community level.
“This is one of the efforts of the Federal Government to reduce poverty level which has become very prevalent affecting people at the rural areas especially the female headed households who do not have any source of income.
“The cash assistance is usually followed by capacity building to ensure that the beneficiaries utilise the funds given to them in line with the aims and objectives of this programme”, he said.
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According to him, the assistance is inform of cash which is N5,000 to each beneficiaries.
“However, we are giving them in two months, making N10,000 so that the money will be enough for them to utilise or to start saving.
“The programme we are having today is enrolment training for cash transfer facilitators from the local government areas.
“Our local government facilitators are the key actors of this programme.We will build their capacity to make sure that they are able to implement the programme and reorient the minds of our beneficiaries at community level.
“We have a total 137 cash transfer facilitators across the six benefiting local government areas in the state”, he said.
In her remarks, the Director Planning, state Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Hajiya Balkisu Ismail thanked the Federal Government for the gesture.
“We thank the federal government for this programme, it came at the right time as it will assist women in this state majority of whom are in difficult condition.
“This programme would help the state government in tackling poverty at grassroots level.
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“Therefore, on behalf of the state ministry for women affairs, I am giving you assurance of our support and cooperation”, she said.
She charged the beneficiaries to utilise the money in line with the aims and objectives it was provided for.
Earlier, the Head, state Cash Transfer Unit, Malam Sani Mafara said the state government was committed to support the programme.
Marafa said that the state government had already donated an office and equipment and promised to assist the programme with vehicles for effective supervision of the programme. (NAN)