The palliatives, according to the Presidency, will directly impact the lives of more than eight million Nigerians in different social investment as provided in 2016 budget spending and will provide succour to ordinary Nigerians.
Senior Special Assistant to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, who spoke for the Presidency in an interaction with news men in Abuja, said that some of the measures would be starting in a matter of weeks.
He said that one of the palliatives would be the direct payment of N5,000 monthly to one million extremely poor Nigerians for 12 months as provided for in the 2016 budget for which N$68.7 billion has been appropriated.
According to Akande, there is also the direct provision of very soft loan -cash for market women, men and traders, including artisans and Agric workers, adding that it would be for a total of 1.76 million Nigerians, without the requirement for conventional collateral.
“Some of the traders will likely get about N60, 000. A total sum of N140.3 billion has already been appropriated for this in the budget. Payment of between N23,000 and N30,000 per month to 500,000 unemployed graduates who would be trained, paid and deployed to work as volunteer teachers, public health officers and extension service workers among other responsibilities.
“They would also be given electronic devices to empower them technologically both for their assignments and beyond just as 100,000 artisans would also be trained and paid N191.5vbillion has been set aside for this in the past budget.
“Also, at least 5.5 million Nigerian primary school children -i.e starting first in 18 states-three per geopolitical zones-would be fed for 200 school days under the free Homegrown School Feeding Programme. N93.1 billion has been appropriated for this in the 2016 budget.
“One hundred thousand tertiary students in science technology engineering & maths (STEM), plus education will partake in the N5.8billion already provided for this education grant in the budget. This payment would also be paid directly to the students.”
Akande said that when added together this year alone, more than eight million Nigerians would be benefiting from the Social Investment budget, saying that the N500 billion social investment programmes of the Buhari administration is a readymade palliative to lift Nigerians from poverty and economic hardship.
“Long before now, the Presidency has made adequate arrangements in the 2016 budget to ensure that Nigerians are lifted from poverty and hardship.”
“This will not only assuage the current pains arising from the new fuel pricing regime, but will provide ongoing social safety nets for over 8 million Nigerians this year alone.”
He added that this is beside the jobs that would be created by the infrastructural projects that would be restored and the new ones that would soon be taking off.
“The Buhari presidency is keen to ensure that Nigerians are lifted and that if necessary on an ongoing basis palliatives measures would always been considered to address the conditions of the people.” [pmyad]
