The Federal Government has concluded a plan for state governments to implement cash transfer programmes using state-generated social registers.
This was stated after a meeting held by the National Economic Council comprising 36 state Governors and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
It said states-generated social registers would better reflect the number of vulnerable Nigerians to be reached with such cash transfer or palliative scheme.
This came on the heels of the plan by the government to roll out its intervention measures to cushion the effects of the hardships facing Nigerians, following the removal of the controversial fuel subsidy.
At its last meeting, the NEC had set up a sub-committee, which was tasked with coming up with plans to reduce the harsh economic conditions trailing the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rates.
“It is states that are better positioned to do that enumeration to ensure the integrity of the social register,” the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, told State House correspondents after the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.
Abiodun spoke alongside the governors of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo; Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; and Acting CBN Governor, Folashodun Shonubi.
He said states-generated register “is aimed at enhancing the integrity and reliability of the National Social Register and ensuring that resources go to the intended beneficiaries.”
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However, the decision to adopt state-generated cash registers means the governors are dumping the existing National Social Register, which as of 2023, has captured over 61 million vulnerable Nigerians eligible for various government social programmes.
He explained: “We also proposed that each state begin to plan towards implementing a cash transfer programme based on their social register of the states.”
The NEC also proposed the implementation of a six-month cash award policy for all public servants.
The six-month cash award policy, Abiodun said would allow sub-national entities to pay their public servants a prescribed amount of cash monthly.
The implementation of the CAP would be based on the individual capacity and priority of various states, he said.
He said: “It was prescribed that it should be implemented for six months in the first instance. And you’ll be wondering why six months.
“The idea is that as much as we’re also particular about ameliorating the pains of our people immediately, a lot of sustainable measures are being put in place and it’s our hope that within now and the next six months, those sustainable measures would have begun to be visible. And then we can begin to taper down on these cash awards.
“These would be funds that will be placed in the hands of civil servants that will be tax exempt.”
