She explained that the ministry now pay using mobile phones, BVN and wallet to beneficiaries, adding that the ministry was working hard to increase the current figure of the vulnerable in the country.

Farouq said that the main focus of the ministry on the conditional cash transfer to the vulnerable was now targeted at the urban poor, adding that this became necessary because they were mostly affected by the lockdown.

On food distribution as palliative by the ministry, Farouq said it had been handed over to the governors, stressing that it started with Lagos, Ogun and FCT because they were the most affected with the lockdown.

She said that Imo and Ebonyi states also benefited from the gesture, stressing that the ministry was revisiting the existing register for cash distribution because the current process was cumbersome.

Also, the minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, stated that 60 Nigerians stranded in Côte d’Ivoire and 24 in Togo had been brought back to Nigeria.

He said they have all gone into the mandatory 14 days isolation, which according to him, was the required standard for any returnee into the country, adding that all the returnees from Togo were tested negative.

According to him, test for COVID-19 for the returnees would only be necessary if they show any symptoms.