(Pix Source: Integrity Reporters)
A total of 56,000 indigent Nigerians will practically walk out of poverty, while a total of 224, 000 children of school age are sustained in school in the first implementation of the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme implemented under the Millennium Development Goals framework (MDGs).
This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, Dr Precious Kalamba Gbeneol at the National Launch of the Conditional Cash transfer (CCT) Scheme under the conditional grants Scheme to States held in Ekiti yesterday.
According to Gbeneol, “the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme is a programme introduced by the federal government to extend cash transfers to extremely poor households on the condition that they make certain investments in the human capital development of their children or wards. The programme specifically conditions access to grants on either health or education with the transfer of agricultural enterprise as a component. These components are considered vital to Nigeria’s march towards meeting the MDGs.”
She stated that in this round of CCT implementation, 56,000 households will benefit from the scheme and this would significantly affect the economic landscape of the participating rural communities in the implementing States. In addition, the scheme would have seen that over 224,000 children of basic school age who were in danger of dropping out of school are prevented from doing so. Furthermore, maternal and infant mortality would have been reduced significantly.
Speaking at the event, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi noted the implementation of the CCT scheme is a noble way of tackling poverty in the land and giving succour to the poor populace. He enjoined the beneficiaries to take advantage of the kind gesture to walk out of poverty.
Cross-posted from Leadership Newspaper
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