By Emmanuel Nduka
In commemoration of the 2023 International Day for Eradication of Poverty, President Bola Tinubu has launched the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer for 15 million households.
The launch was held at the Press Gallery of the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.
The President was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
In attendance at the launch were Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Eradication, Betta Edu; Minister Of Finance, Wale Edun; World Bank Country Director, Shubham Chaudhuri; and the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator For Nigeria, Matthias Schmale; among other dignitaries.
Heritage Times HT reports that the President had in his maiden Independence Day broadcast to Nigerians on October 1, 2023 announced the cash transfer programme which he said would target vulnerable citizens.
According to the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, the 15 million households represents 62 million Nigerians.
She said that the sum of N25,000 would be transferred to the beneficiaries on a monthly basis for three months, which amounts to N75,000 for each of the beneficiaries.
The minister also disclosed that in no distant time, another scheme would be launched, code-named ‘Iya Loja Funds’ which would provide soft loans of N50,000 to support petty traders.
In addition, at the beginning of the next farming season, she said that farmers would be provided with incentives to boost their farm yields.
Country Director of the World Bank, Chaudhuri, pledged his organisation’s support to the scheme, just as Finance Minister disclosed that a biometric auditing system would be put in place to ensure efficiency and accountability in the disbursement of the funds.
