The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has begun disbursement of N20,000 cash grant to vulnerable groups in Kaduna state.
The minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouq inaugurated the Grant for Vulnerable Groups programme (GVG) and other National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) in the state.
She said that the NSIP was aimed at sustaining the social inclusion of the poor and deliberate lifting of 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
The minister, who was represented by Mr Yakubu Austin, the Director General, Services of the ministry said that the programme was being implemented in close partnerships with state governments.
“The GVG is designed to provide a one-off cash grant of N20,000 to the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.
”Our target in Kaduna state is to disburse the grant to 5,688 beneficiaries across the 23 local government areas in the state; 70 per cent for women, 30 per cent is for youths,” she explained.
She added that the President had directed that 15 per cent of the total number of beneficiaries should be allocated to citizens with special needs, Persons With Disability (PWDs) and Senior Citizens.
Umar-Farouq, who rolled out the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0) in the state, noted that beneficiaries would receive a bank alert before the day ended.
She said N50,000 non interest loan would be disbursed to “trader moni” and “market moni” beneficiaries while “farmer moni” beneficiaries would get agricultural inputs worth N300,000.
Earlier, the state focal person on the social investment programmes, Mrs Saude Amina-Atoyebi, stated that 13,928 beneficiaries had been registered for the GEEP 2.0 programme in the state.
She said that 9,315 beneficiaries had been enumerated while 4,613 were on the process of being enumerated, adding that 6,537 beneficiaries had received their ATM cards.
The focal person who was represented by Hayet Lawal, the Programme Manager GEEP 2.0, said the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) had engaged over 7,000 cooks in the state.
She added that the programme was feeding 735,280 pupils across 3,489 schools in the 23 local government areas of the state.
According to her, the programmes had helped in the increase of school enrolment, improved nutrition in pupils as well as jobs provision for the Kaduna residents.
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries of the programme expressed their appreciation to the Federal Government for bringing empowerment programmes to the vulnerable and those at the grassroots.
Mrs. Mary Ayuba, a widow and a beneficiary who received the N20,000 grant for the vulnerable, said she would use the money to boost her charcoal business.
Nusaiba Muhammad, a beneficiary for GEEP 2.0 trader moni, said she had received N50,000 loan, adding that she would use it judiciously, to repay the loan on time.
Another beneficiary, Muhammad Sani said he was selling tailoring materials and will use the money to buy more materials for his business.
