THE Federal Government is reviewing and expanding the National Social Register to accommodate pensioners and ex-servicemen under its Conditional Cash Transfer scheme while removing beneficiaries who have exited the poverty line.
Media reports also state that the Government was also removing dead beneficiaries from the Register and would disqualify those without National Identification Numbers (NIN) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).
Payments would be made directly to the beneficiaries by the Central Bank of Nigeria and not through consultants, as the first batch of bulk payment would begin next week for five million households.
Note that the conditional cash transfer scheme is part of the National Social Investment Programme of the Federal Government, which is a project created to upgrade the standards of living of millions of Nigerians living in extreme poverty and improve the economy.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, said the conditional cash transfer was a proven way to alleviate poverty, as it would give households the financial support to start micro and small enterprises, provide basic health care and food, keep their children in school and attend to the immediate needs of the households.
“The beneficiaries are drawn from across all states in the country plus the Federal Capital Territory, and it is being done in a transparent manner that is traceable and verifiable,” she said.
