No fewer than 17,346 vulnerable residents across the 20 Local Government Areas (LGA’s) in Ogun State will benefit from ongoing batch of Federal Government Renewed Hope Cash Transfer programme, as part of efforts to cushion the effects of economic hardship and strengthen social protection for low-income households.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor on Special Duties, Hon. Aderayo Owonifari, disclosed this while monitoring the commencement of the debit card distribution exercise at Abeokuta North Local Government Secretariat, explained that the latest intervention was built on previous rounds of the programme in the State which would be extended to other LGA’s.
Hon. Owonifari, buttressed that the intervention was a continuous process designed to provide direct financial support to vulnerable households, particularly those captured in the National Social Register, advising beneficiaries to use the funds judiciously and where possible, invest part of the support in activities capable of generating additional income.
"17,346 ATM debit cards were meant to be distributed across all Local Government in the State, while 1,303 cards were available for distribution at Abeokuta North Local Government and beneficiaries who engage in petty trading and other small businesses may also use part of the funds to strengthen their businesses and improve household income," Owonifari submitted.
Also speaking, the State Programme Manager, Conditional Cash Transfer programme, Mr. Damilola Owoojuona, said the exercise was targeted at vulnerable households and was also aimed at promoting financial inclusion, particularly among people at grassroots level, assuring those whose names were captured in the social register to be hopeful as the exercise would be in batches.
Responding, the trio of Mrs. Rasheedat Sodeinde, Mr. Kehinde Kamoru and Mrs. Adijat Adekunle, appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the State government for the gesture, assuring to utilise the intervention judiciously.