The Federal Government claims it has disbursed N20,000 each to 8,000 women in Lagos.
The disbursement, says the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, is part of government’s ongoing Special Cash for Rural Women to mitigate effects of the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic on their households.
Rhoda Iliya, the ministry’s Deputy Director of Information, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the minister, Hajiya Faruq, restated the government’s commitment to alleviating poverty in the country adding that the Buhari administration would not renege on its promise to lift as many Nigerians as possible from the abyss of penury.
Farouq, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Bashir Alkali, noted that government’s target in Lagos was over 8000 beneficiaries across all the local government councils of the state.
She said “The grant is expected to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries.
“It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of the grant to generally contribute towards improving their living standards.
“The grant belongs to you; use it in any small business venture you deem fit that will improve your lives,”
Reacting to the development, Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, commended President Buhari for initiating the Special Cash Grant for rural women
Sanwo-Olu stressed that the initiative was in tandem with the state’s agenda, adding that this reflects the commitment of the government to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
“Today’s event is a further testimony of our government determination to change the socio-economic development narrative of this country and Lagos to the level where our women will be the cornerstone or centerpiece of our strategy in fighting poverty through empowerment.
“We will continue to initiate specifically designed empowerment programmes that will assist in cushioning the effect of this COVID-19 Pandemic on all the citizens especially our rural women and their small businesses.
“The initiative will go a long way in boosting their businesses and assist them to overcome post COVID-19 socio-economic challenges,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He appealed to the beneficiaries not to see the grant as a share of national cake but use the grant to boost their businesses and trade for greater income.
Most of the beneficiaries of the initiative thanked the government profusely for giving succour to them at a time when the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on households and businesses.
