78 LG cash transfer facilitators trained in Edo

No fewer than 78 local governments cash transfer facilitators were on Wednesday trained on savings and group mobilisation for the national cash transfer beneficiaries in Edo state.

National training officer from Abuja, Solomon Kola, told newsmen in Benin that the training was conducted by the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) in collaboration with state cash transfer unit in the state.

Kola said that the facilitators after being trained would go to their various wards and train beneficiaries of the national cash transfer programme.

He said the objective of the training is to improve beneficiaries’ knowledge and skills in savings and mobilisation as well as group formation and management.

“The cash transfer programme is also known as household uplifting programme because it is targeted at the poor and vulnerable in the country.

“The criteria for selecting beneficiaries is dependent on community leaders who identify the poorest among them after which a monthly stipend of N5, 000 is disbursed to them to enhance their standard of living,” he said.

According to Kola, the beneficiaries will receive the monthly stipends for three years, adding that the federal government has also provided capacity building for them within the period.

He also explained that about 26 states were currently participating in the programme.

Edo state Head of the Cash Transfer Unit, Sunday Erhunmwonsere, said about 10, 705 poor and vulnerable household have so far been identified and enrolled to benefit from the programme, adding that identification and enrolment were still ongoing.

Erhunmwonsere noted that conditional cash transfer to enrol beneficiaries would commence as soon as all necessary processes were completed