By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
No fewer than 560 residents of the Federal Capital Territory are beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s grant to vulnerable people in the territory.
The distribution of the cash grant which was disbursed through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was a strategy for enhancing social inclusion and a demonstration of government’s efforts to bring succour and hope to the poorest of the poor and vulnerable members of the society.
During the flag off ceremony in Abuja, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, commended, President Muhammadu Buhari, (GCFR), for his decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
The minister noted that since its introduction and other social economic recovery programmes, the NSIP has impacted positively in Nigeria’s quest to win the war against acute poverty especially at a time the country, and indeed the global community, was striving to recover from the economic difficulties occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aliyu stressed that the distribution of cash grant was to expand the current National Safety Net Project by the Federal Government, adding that it is a development targeted at fuelling economic recovery from the bottom up.
“We are thus conscious that with this noble step, we are fulfilling the expectations of Mr. President and his honest desire and commitment to support the downtrodden and help ease their socioeconomic difficulties occasioned by the covid-19 pandemic and ongoing global economic turbulence.
“Such measures shall, no doubt, help put the country back on the path of sustainable growth,” she affirmed.
She, further expressed the hope that the challenges notwithstanding, Nigeria has what it takes and shall become a great nation if the current developmental thrust is maintained, and all citizens contribute to the peace and progress of the country.
According to her, “The role of government is to provide the direction, to lead the way and to spur collective citizen action to build the nation.
“As we commence the distribution of this grant therefore, it is a statement that the government is ready to do all that is necessary to join the comity of nations to fight the global economic downturn and to put in place the needed shock absolvers to withstand any future eventualities”.
Earlier, in her remarks, the FCT Focal Person, Social Investment Programme, Mrs. Chinwe Amba, revealed that the distribution of cash grant was the second phase of NSIP to vulnerable groups in the territory.
She reiterated that the exercise was aimed at cushioning the impact of poverty and encourage the growth of small scale businesses in the country.
The highpoint of the event was the symbolic distributions of cash grant to beneficiaries.
