Alleviation of poverty: UNICEF meet with the leadership of National Cash Transfer

• A team from the United nations children Trust Fund, UNICEF have met with the Leadership of the National Cash Transfer Office to interact on measures to boost works in the Alleviation of poverty in the country.

They visited to discuss measures in tackling multi dimensional poverty among all Nigerians with hopes of minimizing the influx of people into the sliding poverty index.

The aim is to help cultivate a robust working relationship and ride on the guiding principles of equity, fairness and accountability in line with the Renewed Hope mantra of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and guidelines of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs headed by Dr Betta Edu.

The team received by the National Coordinator, Dr Michael Ajuluchuku and Deputy National Coordinator, National Cash Transfer Office, Dr Janet Ekpenyong was assured of harmonious working relationship in order to help Alleviate the over 133 million Nigerians said to be living below the Poverty index across the 774 Local Government Areas of the Country.

According to the National Coordinator, Dr Michael Ajuluchuku, the need to reinforce the actions and update the National social Register is imminent in order for the policy thrust of the government to be felt by the vulnerable. He further reiterated the commitment of the office to partner with organizations such as UNICEF that will support Cash Transfer , as it is one of the solutions to ending poverty. He also solicited for support in the areas of capacity building and input on the restructuring of the program.

In her response, The Deputy National Coordinator, National Cash Transfer Office, Dr Janet Ekpenyong called for the formation of a Technical Working Group in alliance with sister MDAs and stakeholders in communicating with Nigerians on the gains recorded through the Cash Transfer Office.

She said, the National Cash Transfer Program, which is one of the areas the Honourable Minister, Dr Betta Edu is prioritizing as a tool to fight poverty and will continue to promote innovations especially on cash transfer that will help provide sources of livelihood, income and knowledge to the vulnerable across the country noting that advocacies will commence soon as traditional communication means are already being lined up in communities. She further advocated for the reduction of fragmentation of cash transfer program in the country while soliciting for support to coordinate stakeholders in the cash transfer space in the country.

In their separate responses, representatives of UNICEF headed by the Chief of social policy, Mr Hamidou Poufon congratulated the new team for their appointments, assuring them of maximum cooperation and supports in meeting with their targets.

They called for a formation of child grant as part of the major social security and protection policy to bring an end to inflating Poverty rate in the country.

They acknowledged the efforts of the Humanitarian Ministry under the leadership of Dr Betta Edu in prompt responses to natural disasters like flood, conflicts and communal crisis which daily contributes to the loss of lives and means of livelihood affecting parents and their children alike.

They said even though there are reservations in the productivity of cash transfer, and sometimes doubts by Nigerians, millions have become beneficiaries, which has helped cushion the effects of perennial poverty across many zones in the country.

Both teams are expected to produce a working document that when conceptionalized , will create the perfect template for modern day livelihood sustianace scheme.
Also, in the meeting, were other technical staff of the National Cash transfer office and UNICEF staff including Nkatha Nobure and Segun Tekun.