LAGOS, WORLD BANK ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS ON NATIONAL SOCIAL SAFETY PROGRAMME CLOSURE

·        10.2 Million More Households To Benefit In New Phase
 
The Lagos State Government has interacted with the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer and other stakeholders at the State level to deliberate on the implementation of the National Social Safety Programme (NASSP), its success, achievements, lessons learnt, challenges and sustainability in the State.

The State Focal Person and Honourable Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke, hosted the beneficiaries and other stakeholders in conjunction with the World Bank Mission, National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) and the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), under the Office of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD).

According to Arobieke, the interaction which was tagged: “Engagement With Stakeholders In Twelve States On NASSP Closure”, was necessitated by the design of the programme in phases, with the implementation of the current phase closing in June 2022. She said the forum also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the design of NASS-SU, its objectives and beneficiaries.

Her words: “The engagement will allow for a review of the programme expansion as a result of economic shock to accommodate more beneficiaries in the register, especially in a continually growing city like Lagos. The integration of stakeholders’ input in the twelve States comprising Kano, Katsina, Gombe, Adamawa, Plateau, Kwara, Cross River, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Osun, and others will redefine the needed achievables.
 
“The prompt intervention to position NCTO as the payment delivery platform in the humanitarian and development space was expedient, including the engagement with various stakeholders at the State level to discuss issues that concern the programme and push for the use of NCTO and SCTU as the delivery platform for cash transfer. This will be a laudable feat for a prospective and feasible social development”.

Speaking at the event, the National Coordinator, NASSCO, Mr Apera Iorwa, said the National Social Register has grown to have 750 LGAs, over 8000 Federal Electoral Wards and N46,606,015 million individuals captured as beneficiaries.

“I want to emphasise that the social register will be harmonised and integrated. The Social register already has inclusions of additional data points such as the NIN for consistency, utilization and efficiency. It is interesting to note that the beneficiaries in 30 implementing States have formed savings groups and are involved in income-generating activities through which they have saved a total sum of N609,895,086.00 from inception to date.

“The plans to support the chronically poor and offer respite to the vulnerable falling into poverty due to economic shocks have been designed. The next phase, which commenced in December 2021 and will run till June 2024, is expected to cover 10.2 million households. Project components are grouped into 3. Component 1 includes Economic Shock Responsive Cash transfer (ESR-CT); Urban Shock Responsive Cash Transfer (Urban ESR-CT) and Rural Shock Responsive Cash Transfer (Rural EST-CT). Component 2 covers Extended Regular Cash Transfer (R-CT) and Component 3 has Delivery System Strengthening and Programme Management”, he said.
 

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Olujimi Ige, advised the vulnerable in the State to endeavour to get registered in order to benefit from the programme.
 
The Household Uplifting Programme-Conditional Cash Transfer HUP-CCT is a Federal Government-funded programme established in 2016 and implemented across all 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to provide Cash Transfers to poor and vulnerable households across Nigeria. The programme is also aimed at responding to deficiencies identified with Poor and Vulnerable Households (PVHHs) as a result of a lack of investment in human capital development.
 
PAU/AA/OS