30th January, 2021
No fewer than 3,500 women in Ogun have received N20,000 each, under the Federal Government’s Special Cash Grant Project for Rural Women, a statement from the Humanitarian Affairs ministry has said.
The statement, issued on Saturday, in Abuja, by Mrs Rhoda Iliya, the Deputy Director, Information, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, explained that the humanitarian affairs minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, at the ceremony in Abeokuta, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to alleviating poverty in the country.
Farouq, who was represented by Alhaji Bashir Alkali, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, said the Grant was introduced in 2020, to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration., which committed the President to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
She explained that the programme was designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and peri-urban areas of the country.
“A cash grant of N20,000.00 will be disbursed to about 125,000 poor women across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Our target in Ogun State is to disburse the grant to about 3,500 beneficiaries across all Local Government Councils of the state. The grant is expected to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries.
“It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of the grant, to generally contribute towards improving their living standard, ” she said.
Farouq told the beneficiaries that the money belonged to them and should be used in any small business of their choice, to improve their lives.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Ogun, Prince Dapo Abiodun, represented by his Deputy, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele, said COVID-19 had been a big challenge for everyone across the world and Nigeria was not left out.
“It has seriously impacted on economies and the ability of people to earn a living.
“However, the state came up with some intervention programmes last year which provided palliatives to the people of the state,” Abiodun said.
The Governor also said that the state had benefitted from several Federal Government schemes such as the Survival Fund, among others, adding that the state was, therefore, happy be part of the beneficiaries of the Cash Grant for Rural Women.
Abiodun told the beneficiaries that the money was not a bonus; thus, it should be invested in expanding their businesses to increase their income.