The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday commenced the “Cash and Food Assistant for Vulnerable People” programme.in the Federal Capital Territoy.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, during the distribution said the programmes was in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the country.
Farouq said Kano, Lagos and FCT were the three pilot states for the programme.
“In FCT alone we have about 56,000 beneficiaries from three Area Councils which include Abuja Municipal, Bwari and Gwagwalsda Area Council respectively.
“There are three categories of beneficiaries; first is the Unbank beneficiaries which are about 12,520. They are given UBA’s Prepaid Card of N14,000 with 25kg of Rice, Millet and Surgum. Such people would Later be enrolled to open an account.
“The second categories are those with functional bank account. They are about 5,694. These vulnerable groups with get N38,000 each. The monies will be transfered directly into their bank accounts to help survive or do petty business to have a better live.
“The third is the Cash Mobile Wallet Beneficiaries. hey are about 5,292. They told are given monies to help them cope with the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic,” Farouq said.
She appreciated the effort and support of President Muhammadu Buhari for making the vulnerable people smile again.
Famous also commended the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, Alhaji Musa Candido and WFP for their positive contribution to eliminate hunger in the Federal Capital Territory.
Farouq was represented at the event by Mr Jaji Babatunde, a Director of Human Resources in the Ministry.
Also speaking the Country Representative of the WFP, Mr Paul Howe said the COVID-19 situation had cause a lot of challenges for people, not in the North East alone but in urban centres in Nigeria.
“That is why we want to make sure that we help the most vulnerable; so that is what you are seeing here today. It is in attempt to reach the most vulnerable in partnership with the Fedral Government Government and other stakeholders.
“It is a joint initiative to take care of hunger caused by COVID,-19. We have some studies in Abuja and saw that the intervention is going to help the vulnerable a lot.
,”WFP have been working in Nigeria especially in Borno, Adamawa spend Yobe for the past four years but became of COVID-19 we saw the impact on those in the urban areas; they don’t have their livelihood the way they use to, the economy is not strong as it was and they are hungry.
“We are reaching to people in Kano, Lagos and FCT. In FCT alone we are putting over million dollars. What we are trying to do with the exercise is a one-off two months exercise to meet the need of the people and then we see what happens from there.
“We are trying to support Nigeria to achieve zero hunger by 2030. All our efforts are fully supported by the Swiss Governmemt. The Swiss Government loves Nigeria and will do everything necessary to support WFP in Nigeria,” Howe said.
Also speaking Mr Dauda Dogo, Village Head of Karubiya under AMAC thanked President Buhari, Faqouq and Howe for the gesture.
One of the Unbank Beneficiaries, Mr Wakili Bako, an unemployed father of two said life was not the same during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I used to beg to Fed my children, but with this food stuff and N14,000, I can smile again. I thank Baba Buhari, Hajiya Sadiya and others that brought these things to us. May God bless them”.
