FG targets 3,000 women in Enugu for cash grants

The Federal Government has begun the distribution of Cash Grants for Rural Women in Enugu State.

Three thousand women are being targeted across the state for the grants.

Sadiya Farouq, the minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

The statement, issued by the ministry’s spokesperson, Rhoda Iliya, said the grant was specifically designed to improve the living standards of women across the country.

Ms Farouq called for the support and cooperation of the state governments and other interested institutions and persons to improve the livelihood of the ordinary Nigerians.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State said it was gratifying to note that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was expanding the Social Investment Scheme, despite the economic and revenue challenges in the country.

Mr Ugwuanyi said the scheme is adjudged the largest social protection programme in Africa.

The governor thanked the ministry for positioning Enugu State among the first set of beneficiaries of the grant.

He requested that the state be accorded maximum opportunities in other components of the National Social Investment Programmes.

He advised the beneficiaries to make wise use of the grant.

The ministry was also in Anambra State on Sunday to similarly disburse the grant – N20,000 – to 2,800 rural women in the state.

The Minister was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir-Nuru Alkali.

“Poverty reduction has become a major objective of governments all over the world; this informed the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as a strategy for reducing poverty and enhancing social inclusion.

“The Grant for Rural Women programme was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of Mr President, it is consistent with the President’s national vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years,” Mr Alkali said.

“It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and semi-urban areas of the country.

“A cash grant of N20,000 will be disbursed to about 125,000 poor women across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in January, not fewer than 5,000 women in the Federal Capital Territory, including persons with disability; 8,000 women in Lagos; and 3,500 women in Ogun also benefited from the project.

(NAN)