SIX additional states have joined the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme of the Federal Government to increase the total number of beneficiary states to 26, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) said yesterday.
The CCT is one of the social investment programmes of the Federal Government targeted at lifting poor and vulnerable Nigerians from poverty. Beneficiaries receive N5,000 monthly to be productive and engage in economic activities, form cooperative groups and manage their lives.
Speaking at the just concluded sensitisation workshop for focal persons, permanent secretaries and heads of units in Abuja, National Programme Coordinator of the NCTO, Dr. Temitope Sinkaiye, said more states will join the poverty alleviation scheme once they fulfil all necessary requirements.
Dr. Sinkaiye, who expressed happiness at the increased number of states participating in the programme, assured that the highest standard of transparency and accountability are adhered to in choosing beneficiaries.
She enjoined the 10 remaining states yet to join to expedite action on their enrolment process so that the poor and vulnerable in their states would also benefit.
Dr. Sinkaiye, who reiterated that the scheme does not have stringent operational procedures, explained: “It is for the state to establish state and local government offices. Then the federal would start by training the different levels in order for them to be able to understand the implementation and operational procedure of the programme and commence. Except these states put these structures in place, we cannot do anything.”
On ensuring transparency and accountability in the scheme, Dr. Sinkaiye said it is participatory and is being monitored across the board.
She said: “It is being implemented in a participatory manner where community members are involved, same with local, state and Federal Government.
“There are monitoring organizations including the CSOs, the World Bank and the Swiss government. The monitoring movement has an electronic audit trail, trailing the money as it moves from the CBN to the beneficiaries, so you can trace and trail it from where it was cashed out and where it went to.”
