Federal government has said that it is committed to lifting millions of vulnerable poor Nigerians out of poverty through the sustainable cash transfer policy, disclosing that of the N60 billion so far disbursed, Akwa Ibom has become the highest beneficiary with N18.7 billion in the South-South region under the Household Prosperity and Empowerment-Cash Transfer Programme (HOPE-CT).
According to the statistics disclosed by the minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, 751,000 vulnerable homes have been empowered with financial independence to run petty businesses.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ interactive engagement with the beneficiaries of HOPE-CT empowerment scheme at the Ediene Ikot Obio Primary School, Uyo, at the weekend, the minister explained that the forum became necessary in order to extract feedback from the beneficiaries to ascertain areas of improvement.
He assured that President Tinubu, was committed to guaranteeing financial leverages to the down- trodden, assuring that plans were already being worked out to expand the social register from the current 19.7 million vulnerable households to accommodate new entrants.
“Across the South-South region, the HOPE-CT has delivered about 60 billion naira. Out of this, Akwa Ibom State has benefited to the tune of 18.7 billion naira; so you can see that it’s actually the highest in the South-South region,” he noted.
Minister Doro, however, explained that the state’s leading disbursement chart was why it was deliberately chosen for the feedback mission from other states in the region.
He gave the breakdown of the beneficiaries spread across the state, to include females constituting about 58 percent while males accounted for 42 percent.
On the urban-rural split, he noted that urban areas recorded 48 percent of beneficiaries while rural areas had 51.6 percent, stressing that the ministry operates “an open and very transparent system.”
He said: ”Within this also, female beneficiaries were up to about 58% while male were around 42% and we know that when you empower a woman, you empower the entire household, so we are glad of this achievement.
”Looking at the split between urban and rural area, within the urban area, we recorded 48% of beneficiaries, in the rural areas 51.6% beneficiaries and we operate an open and very transparent system.”
Doro, recalled that since assuming office, he had been guided by the conviction that interventions must not only be designed in offices, but must be validated in communities and experienced by the people.
He disclosed that the ministry was working towards a “One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System” to ensure interventions are coordinated, transparent, and effective, stating that the feedback would guide future policy decisions and strengthen programme delivery nationwide.
Speaking earlier, the host governor, Pastor Umo Eno commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to people-oriented programmes, noting that “the Renewed Hope Agenda is indeed living up to its name, rekindling hope where despair once reigned.”
Represented by the commissioner for humanitarian affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga, the governor thanked the minister for undertaking the tour personally, rather than delegating it saying it “demonstrates a deep commitment and genuine passion for matters concerning the vulnerable and underserved.”
Mr Abel Enang, one of the beneficiaries of the programme, said he was captured last year and received N75,000, adding that he invested the money in vegetable farming which has yielded good returns.
Another beneficiary, Ms. Uduak Uyire, said she was also captured last year and received N75,000, stating that she used the money to rent land, planted crops, and has made gains from the investment.
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