FG To Disburse Cash Transfers To 2.2 Million Poor Households – Minister

By Iyojo Ameh

The Federal Government says it will disburse conditional cash transfers to 2.2 million poor and vulnerable households before the end of August.

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tanko Sununu, disclosed this on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

According to him, the initiative is part of government’s ongoing efforts to alleviate poverty and support vulnerable citizens across the country.

“In the next few days to come, before the end of August, we are going to reach out to 2.2 million households,” Sununu said, explaining that the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) is harvesting names from the National Social Register to ensure transparency.

The minister revealed that so far, the Federal Government has disbursed about ₦419 billion under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, benefiting around five million Nigerians.

“We have distributed 71 percent in the northern part and 21 percent in the southern part of the country,” he noted, stressing that the support is targeted at the lowest economic cadre.

The announcement comes amid growing public interest and scrutiny of the cash transfer programme, which has faced demands for greater accountability.

Recently, the House of Representatives resolved to probe the conditional cash transfer scheme, while rights group SERAP asked the government to disclose details of a separate planned ₦729 billion payout to 24.3 million Nigerians.