Toba Owojaiye Reporting
Starting from next month, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation will initiate a program to provide grants of N25,000 to vulnerable pensioners who are part of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and have been included in the expanded National Social Register of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Scheme.
This announcement was made by the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, during a meeting with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) leadership, led by President Joe Ajaero, in Abuja.
The decision to include vulnerable pensioners in the CCT scheme stems from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to labor leaders.
Tinubuhad expressed his commitment during his Independence Day speech, where he pledged N25,000 for 15 million households over three months.
Dr. Edu appealed to the NLC to assist in swiftly gathering the necessary data of potential beneficiaries among vulnerable pensioners to ensure they can start receiving the CCT benefits as early as November.
Expressing her desire for a streamlined process, Dr. Edu stated, “I want us to fast-track this. If we can get this data and information within two weeks, we are sure that you will be beneficiaries immediately, and you can start earning from next month.” She also commended President Ajaero for his cooperative approach and urged him to maintain faith in the federal government under President Tinubu.
In response, President Ajaero expressed satisfaction with the poverty alleviation initiatives launched by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and praised the Minister’s dedication to her role. However, he emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of poverty, suggesting that efforts should extend beyond mitigating its effects. Ajaero urged the government to focus on creating a productive economy with functioning factories that can provide jobs.
President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Godwin Abumisi, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and the Minister for recognizing the needs of retirees and allocating these federal government benefits to them. Many pensioners receive meager monthly payments, making the promised N25,000 a significant sum for them.
He thanked the Minister for her exceptional performance and encouraged her to maintain the momentum in implementing these important initiatives.
This marks a significant step in the government’s efforts to support vulnerable pensioners and alleviate poverty in Nigeria.