By Amos Aar
THE NATIONAL Social Investment Programmes Agency (N-SIPA), through its National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), in collaboration with the Benue State Cash Transfer Unit (SCTU), on Monday, held a high-level stakeholder engagement and awareness creation meeting at Hallidays Hotel Resort, Makurdi.
According to the State Program Manager of SCTU, Mr. Terkura Waghbo who was a lead facilitator at the meeting, the program which convened government officials, traditional leaders, and program stakeholders was aimed at sensitize and boost the capacity of the participants to improve their performance, especially in the rural areas.
Giving a background of the initiative, Waghbo said the Federal Government has made social protection interventions a central strategy for tackling poverty and reducing the vulnerability of disadvantaged populations.
He explained that the National Social Protection Policy, developed with support from development partners, was designed to guide all stakeholders in delivering effective and sustainable poverty reduction programmes. According to him, collaboration among ministries, departments, agencies, and non-governmental actors is key to achieving the programme’s objectives.
Mr. Waghbo further explained that the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), established under the National Social Safety Nets Programme (NASSP), is charged with providing targeted financial support to poor and vulnerable households under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
He noted that NCTO has been responsible for the implementation of Nigeria’s flagship Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, known as the Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), which has enabled over two million rural households in underserved areas to access electronic payments through digital platforms. He added that this intervention has significantly advanced the country’s financial inclusion and national identity registration goals.
Another facilitator among others, Gugu Mary Ngohile, an MPEO officer with SCTU, who spoke on the roles and responsibilities of social focal persons, state programme managers, and permanent secretaries, emphasized the importance of synergy at all levels to ensure the programme’s reach, especially in remote communities.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Deborah Seremun Aber, her representative, Barr. Akor Terna, stressed that the programme was specifically designed for vulnerable citizens. He urged all stakeholders to ensure that the cash transfers reach the intended beneficiaries, especially at the grassroots.
Similarly, the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Chenge, represented by Dr. Clement Tyav, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Artificial Intelligence and Innovation, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the success of the initiative.
Traditional leaders also pledged their support, with the District Head of Waloyomayo in Makurdi LGA, Chief Solomon Ajo, assuring that traditional institutions would assist in ensuring the programme’s success, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
On his part, FADAMA State Coordinator, Mr. Kelvin Tarnongu, encouraged participants to take the knowledge gained at the meeting back to their communities to foster awareness and ensure effective implementation of the programme’s objectives. He lamented that most of these meetings remain in the conference halls.
