About sixty days after President Bola Tinubu launched the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer for 15 million households, beneficiaries of the programme are already expressing the enormous impact of the initiative.
A recent independent investigation carried out to ascertain the efficacy and practicability of the Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme across the country had attracted encomiums and applause by citizens.
Beneficiaries attested that the impact of the cash transfer programme has been immediate and far reaching in alleviating economic hardship to an extent. They also revealed that the N25,000 credited directly into their banks accounts was used for different purposes, including setting up of small businesses and to support existing ones, feeding, payment of school fees, medical bills, amongst others.
Recall that the Federal Government had emphasized that the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer programme is targeted at uplifting poor and vulnerable Nigerians, as well as an immediate intervention to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and other economic shocks.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu had hitherto stated that: “61 million Nigerians stand to benefit from the scheme every month in October, November and December; 15 million households will be receiving 75,000 Naira over three months”.
Here are some testimonies of some beneficiaries of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer programme:
Funke Ogungbesun said, “I thank the Federal Government for what the government has done for us. I use the money to open my shop”.
Precious Nwamaka: “Infact, I’m very happy to see such a huge amount of amount of money unexpectedly in my bank account because I did not expect it. I use it to support my business”.
Shedrack Willie: “I did not believe it, I received it in the night and it really helped me and my family. So I thank the Federal Government for this palliative”.
One of the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, who didn’t want his name on print had this to say: “I got alert of N25,000, before then I don’t know what to do about my child who was in the hospital, but as soon as the alert came I used it to pay my child’s hospital bill. So, I thank the Federal Government so much, this money really helped me”.
On her part, Sekinat Galadima, a resident of Kuje, FCT-Abuja said, I used the money to support my pure water business and school.
Alhaji Yusuf Baba, a leader of one the communities in the Federal Capital Territory revealed that beneficiaries in his community are using the money from the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer programme to support their businesses. He however expressed joy over the impact of the initiative.
It is noteworthy that the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer programme is not the only initiative the Tinubu administration has adopted to lift Nigerians out of poverty.
Recall, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Edu had announced the Federal Government’s plan for provision of a special grant of N25,000 each under Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme to vulnerable pensioners in the country.
Dr Edu, also revealed that the Federal Government is working on a strategy to pull 50 million people out of poverty in the next 42 months, stressing that President Tinubu is deliberate in different poverty alleviation programmes to help the vulnerable in the country.