FG disburses N475m grant to 11,697 women in 10 Imo councils

The Federal Government has disbursed N474.8 million grant to rural women in Imo State having registered 11,697 beneficiaries in 10 of the 27 council areas of the state.

This followed its determination to lift 100 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty by 2030 through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk, disclosed this at the weekend in Owerri at the commencement of the Special Grant for rural women programme.

She explained that the Federal Government planned to lift the beneficiaries out of poverty by enhancing their households consumption, improving their health and nutrition, school enrolment and attendance of their children, enhancing environmental sanitation and management and enjoy sustainable livelihoods.

At the event, which witnessed the disbursement of N20, 000 to each of the selected women in the state, she said: “Already, the Federal Government has enrolled 11,697 under the CCT. Those beneficiaries have received N474.8 million since its inception in 10 council areas of Imo State.

“The programme is also aimed at lifting the most vulnerable groups out of poverty, protecting and promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable as a strategy for enhancing social inclusion of the most vulnerable in the country.”

She said since the introduction of the programme in 2016, it had impacted and turned around the lives of the poor, adding that ‘transfer and grant’ was one of the methods of quick empowerment of the poor in the country through timely delivery of cash to the households of the beneficiaries.

Farouk pointed out that the policy was part of Federal Government’s social inclusion and poverty reduction agenda, including the realisation of the national aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years and appealed for cooperation, understanding and patience from all stakeholders.

She disclosed that N20, 000 would also be disbursed to over 150,000 poor rural women in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Assuring that it would increase the beneficiaries’ standard of living, she said: “It is expected to increase access to finance required for economic activities.”