Against expectations and projections, the Federal Government’s humanitarian assistance initiatives like the Farmer Money, Trader Money, and Conditional Cash Transfer is said to have made the difference for millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians celebrating yuletide.

Going by reports, it is now evident that President Bola Tinubu with his robust Renewed Hope poverty alleviation and financial grants initiative managed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has within a short period of time changed what could have been a lackluster yuletide celebration for at least 3.5 million Nigerians to an exciting end of year season.

The latest of the packages given by the President to provide relief for Nigerians is distribution of a N20,000 grant to over 5,000 vulnerable and People With Disabilities (PWD) in Cross River State through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs; hence this development has got Nigerians thanking the President again for the Yuletide gesture, saying “the money would help them to provide sustainable livelihood for their households.”

Recall the federal government officially launched the conditional cash transfer programme which aims to give 15 million Nigerian households N25,000 for three months.

Earlier in the week, Dr. Edu during the commencement of payment of N20,000 to vulnerable groups in Cross River state as part of measures to reduce poverty revealed that the Federal government’s humanitarian assistance initiatives like the Farmer Money, Trader Money, and Conditional Cash Transfer have benefitted up to 3.5 million Nigerians.

Her words: “The Federal Government has many initiatives such as the Farmer Money, Trader Money, Conditional Cash Transfer in which 3.5 million Nigerians have benefitted across board.
“We also have the End Hunger Programme that will be launched in January, and the Skill Acquisition Programme, among others; all I ask for at the state level is for the state to key fully to the centre.”

It is noteworthy that the revelation by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation that 3.5 million Nigerians benefitted from the federal government’s humanitarian assistance initiatives contradicts a recent report which stated that less than 1% of the poor and vulnerable households have benefitted from the Federal government’s cash transfer program.

Besides the federal government’s commencement of payment of N20,000 to vulnerable groups in Cross River state as part of measures to reduce poverty, the government had announced resumption of payment of arrears to beneficiaries of the N-Power programme a week ago.

Also, the federal government has announced plans to provide N50,000 as non-interest loans to 1.5 million market women under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs dubbed the initiative Iyaloya Funds.