The Federal Government, on Tuesday, disclosed that it has so far disbursed N6.092 billion to 129,137 poor and vulnerable households in Zamfara State.
Minister of Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed this during a meeting with the Emirs and other stakeholders at the Zamfara State Government House, Gusau.
According to her, the CCT exercise conducted in six Local Government Areas, namely: Anka, Bungudu, Birnin Magaji, Kauran Namoda Tsafe and Talatar Mafara, was part of ongoing efforts to improve the “socio-economic livelihood of over 130,000 beneficiaries with payments of between 30,000 – 80,000 distributed based on dates each beneficiary was registered into the CCT Programme.”
Details of the fund disbursed as at August 2020 showed that Bugundu LGA got N1.093 billion; Birnin Magaji LGA got N678.520 million; Talata Mafara LGA got N847.330 million; Kaura Namoda LGA got N1.451 billion; Tsafe LGA got N1.256 billion; Anka LGA got N765.930 million.
The Minister explained that the “disbursement was done through the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme to the poor and vulnerable households in the State with a monthly base cash transfer of N5,000 to each beneficiary, with the sole aim of graduating them out of poverty.
“As highlighted earlier, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown negatively affected national economic and social activities. In view of these challenges and as outlined in the ‘Bouncing Back: Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan’ document, the existing Social Investment Programmes are being expanded to offer greater and wider protection to the most vulnerable persons and communities: In October 2019, the Zamfara Social Register had 175,955 poor and vulnerable households (PVHHs) made up of 802,279 individuals.
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“Today, the register has grown under my stewardship to 420,358 PVHH and 1,950,201 individuals that will benefit from the government’s social safety net programmes. Furthermore, Cash Transfers will be expanded to cover an additional 1 million households, nationwide. Of this expansion, Zamfara will have a total of 138,861 new beneficiaries, in addition to the 130,000 currently being paid through the Cash Transfer programme.
The Minister also tasked stakeholders to come up with ideas and solutions that we will re-imagine and define a new approach to tackling and effectively resolving social and economic vulnerabilities in Zamfara State.
In the same vein, she observed that the similar humanitarian action carried out by the National Emergency Management Agency and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons provided relief interventions after a fire outbreak to Gusau Local Government area and the distribution of drugs, food and non-food items in Gusau, Mahdi Gusau, Anka, Maradun, Shinkafi and Zumi, respectively.
Speaking earlier, the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle represented by the Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Bala Bello Maru, appealed for the intervention of the Federal Government in road construction that will give security agents access to remote areas where bandits hide.
He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his concern on insecurity bedevilling the state and unwavering efforts in formalising mining sector.
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