FG doles out N259bn to extremely poor, unemployed graduates

Days after signing the 2016 budget, the Federal Government yesterday rolled out strategies for the implementation of the social intervention programmes, for which it has budgeted half a trillion naira.

About eight million Nigerians would benefit from the six listed government social investment programmes and palliatives across the states of the federation. The programme is billed to start in a couple of weeks, the Presidency said.

A total of N500billion has been appropriated for in the 2016 spending year, geared towards various poverty alleviation schemes in the country.

In an interaction with newsmen, Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant, Media & Publicity to the President, said the N500bn social investment programme of the Buhari administration is a ready made palliative to lift Nigerians from poverty and economic hardship.

A total of 5.5 million school children would be fed for 200 school days in the first phase of a homegrown school feeding programme. The pilot scheme is expected to start in 18 states, three from each geopolitical zone.

The children would be fed for 200 school days under the free Homegrown School Feeding Programme. N93.1billion has been appropriated for this in the 2016 budget, the office of the Vice President said on Sunday.

A total of 1.76million Nigerians, including traders, market women, men, artisans, as well as agriculture workers, would receive soft loans without the requirement for conventional collateral. With N40.3billion appropriated in the 2016 budget, some of the traders may get about N60,000.

One million extremely poor and vulnerable Nigerians would receive N60,000 this year, in 12 months payments of N5,000 each. N68.7B has been appropriated for this purpose.

A total of 500,000 unemployed graduates would be trained, paid and deployed to work as volunteer teachers, public health officers and extension service workers, among other responsibilities. These would receive between N23,000 and N30,000 as monthly stipends.

Those trained would also be given electronic devices to empower them technologically, both for their assignments and beyond. One hundred thousand artisans would also be trained and paid. A total of N191.5B has been set aside for this in the passed budget.

Also, as part of the social intervention programme, 100,000 tertiary students in Science Technology Engineering & Maths-STEM, plus Education will partake in the N5.8bn already provided for this education grant in the budget. This payment would also be paid directly to the students.