Federal Gov’t Makes Second Payment To 1m Social Investment Beneficiaries

The federal government, through the ministry of finance, said it has made second tranche of payment to about one million beneficiaries of its cash-based Social Investment Programme (SIP).

The ministry, however, did not provide details of the actual beneficiaries, spread and the amount involved.

The claim was made at a meeting of the Presidential Panel on the Social Investment Programme led by the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Mr Olawale Edun.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of the finance ministry to review the progress of policies supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, according to a statement that was issued by the ministry.

“Key updates included the second payments to about a million verified recipients under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) program,” the statement read in part.

The National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) was encouraged to become a front-end partner with National Identity Management Company (NIMC) for NIN enrollment, and a new communication strategy was discussed to improve programme outreach across Nigeria.

The ministry said reforms to the school feeding programme were also explored. It, however, failed to provide details of the reform programme that has been marred with corruption and irregularities since its Inception by the last administration.

The minister emphasised the critical importance of identifying the most vulnerable individuals, ensuring they receive their benefits promptly and securely using digital means. He reiterated the President’s commitment to delivering social investment programmes efficiently and transparently.