The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has begun the disbursement of Federal Government’s N20,000 cash grant to vulnerable rural women in Edo.
The Minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, inaugurated the programme on Wednesday in Benin, saying that 4,000 persons were captured to benefit from the grant in the state.
Umar-Farouq urged the beneficiaries not to see the grant as their own share of the national cake but as grant meant to boost their business and income.
The minister, represented by the Director, Humanitarian Affair, Alhaji Ali Grema, said the initiative was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to her, the federal government has paid more attention to addressing the plight of the poor and vulnerable, in spite of glaring revenue drop.
She said that about one million households across the country had so far benefited from federal government’s Social Investment Programme.
Umar-Farouq said the programme was designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and semi-urban areas.
“Our target in Edo is to disburse the grant to 4000 beneficiaries across the local governments of the state.
“The grant is expected to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries,” she said.
Wife of Edo Governor, Betsy Obaseki, lauded Buhari for his commitment to grassroot empowerment through social intervention programme.
Obaseki, represented by Wife of the Deputy Governor, Maryam Shaibu, said that the grant was in line with Gov. Godwin Obaseki’s empowerment agenda.
She said that the state government had succeeded in making sure that every sector of the economy benefitted from its interventions.
She said that Edo women needed more government interventions and appealed to the federal government not to rest on its oars.
A beneficiary, Deborah Onaluwa, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked the federal government for the grant.
Onaluwa promised that they would use the money to boost their business. (NAN)
