560 FCT vulnerable residents get FG cash grant – Minister

The FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, has disclosed that 560 residents of the territory benefited from the Federal Government’s grant to vulnerable people.

Aliyu disclosed this at the inauguration of the distribution of cash grant to beneficiaries by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development on Thursday in Abuja.

The minister commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

560 FCT vulnerable residents get FG cash grant – Minister

Aliyu said that the programme was a strategy for enhancing social inclusion and a demonstration of government’s efforts to bring succour and hope to the poorest of the poor and vulnerable members of the society.

He noted that since its introduction and other social economic recovery programmes, it had impacted positively in Nigeria’s quest to win the war against acute poverty.

This is “especially at a time the country, and indeed the global community, were striving to recover from the economic difficulties occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic”.

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Aliyu stressed that the distribution of cash grant was to expand the current National Safety Net Project by the Federal Government, adding that it is a development targeted at fuelling economic recovery from the bottom up.

“We are thus conscious that with this noble step, we are fulfilling the expectations of President Buhari and his honest desire and commitment to support the downtrodden and help ease their socioeconomic difficulties occasioned by the COVID-19 and ongoing global economic turbulence.

“Such measures shall, no doubt, help put the country back on the path of sustainable growth,” she said.

She expressed the hope that the challenges notwithstanding, Nigeria has what it takes and shall become a great nation if the current developmental thrust is maintained, and all citizens contribute to the peace and progress of the country.

” The role of government is to provide the direction, to lead the way and to spur collective citizen action to build the nation.

“As we commence the distribution of this grant therefore, it is a statement that the government is ready to do all that is necessary to join the comity of nations to fight the global economic downturn.

She said it was also meant to put in place the needed shock absobers to withstand any future eventualities

Earlier, in her remarks, the FCT Focal Person, Social Investment Programme, Mrs Chinwe Amba, revealed that the distribution of cash grant was the second phase of NSIP to vulnerable groups in the territory.

She reiterated that the exercise was aimed at cushioning the impact of poverty and encourage the growth of small scale businesses in the country.

The highpoint of the event was the symbolic distribution of cash grant to beneficiaries