ADVERTISEMENT

Beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer were identified before May 29, 2015 — Presidency

According to Akande, in eight of the nine pilot States, this process had taken place at least 2 years ago.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Digital Switch Over in Abuja

According to the Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, the nine States are Bauchi, Borno, Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo.

(Akande clarified that reference to Ogun, instead of Osun-among the pilot states- in his last press statement on the issue was a typo.)

In his press update on the progress of the Buhari administration’s Social Investment Programmes, SIP, over the weekend, Akande explained how the Community-Based Targeting, CBT model of the World Bank was used two years ago to identify most of the beneficiaries in the pilot States, as the World Bank is also an active agent in the entire process. But he added that the data collected belongs to Nigeria.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Akande, " there is no way anyone can describe the selection of the beneficiaries of the CCT as partisan as the beneficiaries from eight of the nine pilot States were picked even before this administration came into office."

“First, the officials at Federal level, working with the State officials, identify the poorest Local Government Areas, using an existing poverty map for the State, then the LG officials identify the poorest communities in the LGAs and we send our teams there."

The first thing our team does after selection of the LGAs is to select members of the NOA, the LGA and community officials to form the CBT team.  Then we train the selected officials on how to conduct Focus Group discussions at community level. These focus groups comprise of women, men, youth, as the community determines.

After training them, the CBT teams now go to each of their communities to sensitize the leaders, including traditional rulers, on the CBT process and the necessity for objectivity and openness in the process. At that meeting, they firm up a date to convene a community meeting at a designated location within the community.

On the set date, discussions are held in the local languages, using terminologies that resonate in that community. The CBT team will explain to the community the purpose of the gathering, i.e. to determine the parameters of poverty upon which persons can be described as poor and vulnerable within the context of that community.

ADVERTISEMENT

The CBT teams will then engage each group (men, women and youth) in the conversation around the criteria and parameters for determining the poorest people. The groups would then be encouraged to identify those households that fall within the criteria that the community itself determines, and told that the information is required for government's planning purposes.

(Various poverty criteria have been thrown up so far. In some cases, people have said it’s the number of times they eat, it’s the number of times the fumes of firewood go up from the house, the size of farmland or type of crops grown, etc.)

Then the groups resume in plenary and report back the criteria and parameters discussed.

The CBT team would then compile the criteria and parameters and ask each group to return to their break-out sessions and now begin to identify the households in the community that have been identified as fitting the criteria and parameters.

Once that is done at the groups, everybody comes together again with names compiled by each group. Now, when the same name is featured in at least two of the three groups, it is deemed qualified to be listed on the Social Register.

ADVERTISEMENT

At this stage, we now enumerate the members of the household and open a bank account for each of the caregivers by capturing the biometric data of households identified as among the poorest and vulnerable.

According to Akande, in eight of the nine pilot States, this process had taken place at least 2 years ago under a programme supported by the World Bank under an Agreement entered into directly with the State Governments, on the YESSO project. The ninth state is Borno, which was added because of the IDP situation, with the list of the beneficiaries that has been verified by SEMA.

“This is an entirely fair and transparent process and short of mischief, there is no way you can describe this process as partisan. The President is President of the entire country and the SIPs are for all Nigerians as the case may be," he said.

In addition to the nine pilot States, and with the release of funds for the programmes, the CBT model has now commenced in other States.

ADVERTISEMENT

The States have been updated on the requirements for the engagement by the Federal team and once the lists from States are enumerated, their details are uploaded onto a server at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, NIBSS, which hosts the electronic platform that validates all the payments of the FG for the SIPs.

Banks have been informed that payments must be at community level, so those banks engaged for the pilot stage have in turn engaged several payment agents, to ensure cash-out to the beneficiaries in their places of residence which are distant to the bank locations.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

You make bold decisions & live with consequences - Ondo Gov hails Tinubu at 72

You make bold decisions & live with consequences - Ondo Gov hails Tinubu at 72

170 electrical vandalism cases in 2 years, 100 charged to court - EEDC

170 electrical vandalism cases in 2 years, 100 charged to court - EEDC

Dr Bello appointed chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by Tinubu

Dr Bello appointed chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by Tinubu

Don't curse, condemn Nigeria in your sermons - Tinubu tells clerics

Don't curse, condemn Nigeria in your sermons - Tinubu tells clerics

Lagos postpones eagerly anticipated Easter boat regatta indefinitely

Lagos postpones eagerly anticipated Easter boat regatta indefinitely

Third Mainland Bridge reopens in 1 week, formal ceremony later - Minister

Third Mainland Bridge reopens in 1 week, formal ceremony later - Minister

Sanwo-Olu opens 'Sunday market' on Good Friday for Easter shopping

Sanwo-Olu opens 'Sunday market' on Good Friday for Easter shopping

Wike thanks Tinubu for the opportunity to serve

Wike thanks Tinubu for the opportunity to serve

Barrister Bida pens special birthday prayer for President Tinubu, Nigerians

Barrister Bida pens special birthday prayer for President Tinubu, Nigerians

Pulse Sports

Nigeria vs Mali: Has Finidi George done enough to land Super Eagles job permanently?

Nigeria vs Mali: Has Finidi George done enough to land Super Eagles job permanently?

I want to emulate Keshi and win the AFCON - Finidi George shares ambitious Super Eagles dream

I want to emulate Keshi and win the AFCON - Finidi George shares ambitious Super Eagles dream

Michelle Alozie: I had to do it because of African referees

Michelle Alozie: I had to do it because of African referees

AC Milan star reveals he was named after Super Eagles legend Tijani Babangida

AC Milan star reveals he was named after Super Eagles legend Tijani Babangida

Give him the job! Super Eagles fans beg NFF to make Finidi George permanent coach after Nigeria's win over Ghana

Give him the job! Super Eagles fans beg NFF to make Finidi George permanent coach after Nigeria's win over Ghana

Super Eagles 2-1 Black Stars: Nigerians praise Iwobi, Lookman, Finidi George after friendly victory against Ghana

Super Eagles 2-1 Black Stars: Nigerians praise Iwobi, Lookman, Finidi George after friendly victory against Ghana

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT