Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has released N135.1 million cash transfers/grants to 3,510 vulnerable households and last year’s flood victims in the state.
According to him, the beneficiaries comprise farmers, small and medium scale entrepreneurs, 21 communities under Fadama and the Social Development Agency and other poverty alleviation programmes.
Disbursing the cash transfers/grants at the weekend in Damaturu, the governor, said: “The N10, 000 cash transfer is going to be paid monthly to each beneficiary for two years, while the N100, 000 is to be paid once to 1, 000 beneficiaries to cushion their shocks from 2022 natural disasters in the state.” He said the two components of interventions were part of the nation’s COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.
He explained that NG-CARES is a Federal Government intervention programme comprising the National Cash Transfers (NCT), Youth Employment and Social Support Operations (YESO), Fadama and Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
According to Buni, the four programmes focus on poverty alleviation and empowerment of vulnerable households, adding that they are being implemented at the federal and state levels.
He explained that the poverty alleviation projects were meant to increase access to livelihoods support, food security and cash transfers/grants to vulnerable households in the country.
“The over a decade challenge of Boko Haram insurgency has compounded our dire economic situation with an unfavourable poverty index in the various sectors of the state’s economy,” he lamented.
Buni noted that the government’s post-recovery efforts were being frustrated and challenged by floods, natural disasters, rising inflation and the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
“We are taking advantage of the various interventions of the Federal Government to improve our people’s living conditions in the state.
The state government will use the social register of the poor and vulnerable households in disbursing the cash transfers and grants,” he stated.
He added that NG-CARES is an effective means that could complement the efforts of the state government while implementing its post-insurgency recovery plans.
According to him, the coordinated plans are in the job creation and income generation sectors of the economy for the youths to become self-reliant.
“We’re training youths and women in skills acquisition, start-up kits and capital, engagements in Point of Sales (POS) business, irrigation farming, tailoring, handset and laptop repairs, livestock production and building.
“These include training in skill acquisition, provision of tools and start-up capital to youths and widows who opted to engage in Point of Sale (POS) business, irrigation, tailoring, painting, GSM Handset Repairs and laptops,” he added.
Culled from The Guardian.
