Payments for Conditional Cash Transfer directly to beneficiaries
By Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

Implementation of the welfare programme for the poor will begin immediately the 2016 budget is passed, the Senior Special Assistant-Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, has said.
Akande in a statement he issued yesterday said the need to pay attention to the common man and spend the resources of the country on the poor people explained why the Buhari presidency had proposed a N500 billion estimate in the 2016 budget.
Akande said at no time in the nation's budgetary history had the federal government made a specific vote of such volume for social welfare.
Akande in a statement he issued yesterday said the need to pay attention to the common man and spend the resources of the country on the poor people explained why the Buhari presidency had proposed a N500 billion estimate in the 2016 budget.
Akande said at no time in the nation's budgetary history had the federal government made a specific vote of such volume for social welfare.
He said: "Even economic historians now say that not only is the half a trillion Naira vote unprecedented, but it is also the greatest service ever done to the Nigerian state and people by any federal government administration."
He pointed out that the six social safety plans would reduce high levels of poverty while also increasing Nigeria's Human Development Index on the global UN rankings.
Akande said: "The president's vision is to increase investments in human capital to guarantee security for all, employment and improved well-being of the people."
He said that the presidency was aware that past attempts to address poverty suffered because of insufficient political will, presence of various UN-coordinated initiatives and poorly targeted beneficiaries among other factors, and would work to avoid the pitfalls.
He said that for the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT, where one million extremely poor Nigeria would receive N5000 monthly in 2016, the money would be paid directly to the beneficiaries through a payment system that was yet to be worked out.
He said the World Bank and the Bill Gates Foundation would collaborate with the presidency to develop an efficient payment system.
According to him, all together about N60 billion has been estimated to be paid out to extremely poor Nigerians.
He pointed out that the six social safety plans would reduce high levels of poverty while also increasing Nigeria's Human Development Index on the global UN rankings.
Akande said: "The president's vision is to increase investments in human capital to guarantee security for all, employment and improved well-being of the people."
He said that the presidency was aware that past attempts to address poverty suffered because of insufficient political will, presence of various UN-coordinated initiatives and poorly targeted beneficiaries among other factors, and would work to avoid the pitfalls.
He said that for the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT, where one million extremely poor Nigeria would receive N5000 monthly in 2016, the money would be paid directly to the beneficiaries through a payment system that was yet to be worked out.
He said the World Bank and the Bill Gates Foundation would collaborate with the presidency to develop an efficient payment system.
According to him, all together about N60 billion has been estimated to be paid out to extremely poor Nigerians.
"The implementation of the programme starts once the budget is passed," he added.
Akande disclosed, that there would also be direct payment in the Homegrown School Feeding Programme.
"In the case of the CCT, those one million poor Nigerians would be paid directly, while in the case of the Homegrown School Feeding, the suppliers of the meals to the primary school pupils would also be paid directly by the federal government. There would be no middle agents involved official or private," according to Akande.
The media aide observed that the recipients of the CCT would meet the conditions of their children participating in immunization and school enrollment but also boost the economy as the money would boost consumer spending in the economy.
He stated that regarding the Homegrown School Feeding programme, the federal government would start a pilot scheme in selected states once the budget was passed.
Akande disclosed, that there would also be direct payment in the Homegrown School Feeding Programme.
"In the case of the CCT, those one million poor Nigerians would be paid directly, while in the case of the Homegrown School Feeding, the suppliers of the meals to the primary school pupils would also be paid directly by the federal government. There would be no middle agents involved official or private," according to Akande.
The media aide observed that the recipients of the CCT would meet the conditions of their children participating in immunization and school enrollment but also boost the economy as the money would boost consumer spending in the economy.
He stated that regarding the Homegrown School Feeding programme, the federal government would start a pilot scheme in selected states once the budget was passed.
The one-meal-a-day programme, he said, was i being supported by the Imperial College in the United Kingdom through one of its agencies Partnership for Child Development, PCD.
According to him, the Homegrown School Feeding will not only feed the children and help their learning significantly, but would also boost the local economy of the states and the local communities.
Akande said: "The Buhari presidency has four other social investment plans, including the 500,000 direct jobs, where unemployed graduates would be trained and hired to become volunteer teachers in their communities while looking for jobs in their chosen profession.
"There is also a Youth Employment plan that would take 370,000 non-graduates youths through skills acquisition and vocational training programmes. Like the teaching jobs, the selection of beneficiaries for this scheme would be done on states and FCT basis, opened to all Nigerians of different shades.
According to him, the Homegrown School Feeding will not only feed the children and help their learning significantly, but would also boost the local economy of the states and the local communities.
Akande said: "The Buhari presidency has four other social investment plans, including the 500,000 direct jobs, where unemployed graduates would be trained and hired to become volunteer teachers in their communities while looking for jobs in their chosen profession.
"There is also a Youth Employment plan that would take 370,000 non-graduates youths through skills acquisition and vocational training programmes. Like the teaching jobs, the selection of beneficiaries for this scheme would be done on states and FCT basis, opened to all Nigerians of different shades.
"For small scale traders, artisans and market women, there is the micro credit scheme where one million Nigerians will get a one-time soft loan of N60,000 each through the Bank of Industry (BOI).
"And finally there is the free education plan for students of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) where government will pay tuition for 100,000 students.
"And finally there is the free education plan for students of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) where government will pay tuition for 100,000 students.
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