NEC proposes cash transfer programs run by states. During the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, the NEC put forth a proposal for state governments to implement cash transfer programs using state-generated social registers. This proposal aims to alleviate the challenging economic conditions following the discontinuation of petrol subsidy on May 29.
It’s important to note that this approach differs from the National Social Register, which has identified over 61 million vulnerable Nigerians eligible for various government social programs as of 2023. The implementation of the cash transfer program would be tailored to the individual capacity and priorities of each state, as suggested by the NEC.
The Governors of Anambra, Prof. Charles Soludo; Ogun, Dapo Abiodun; Bauchi, Bala Mohammed; and the Acting CBN Governor, Folashodun Shonubi, shared this information with State House Correspondents after the NEC meeting.
The National Social Register (NSR) serves as a data repository about potential beneficiaries for multiple social assistance programs, focusing on a common population of interest but not necessarily following the same eligibility approach. The NSR is built using four targeting approaches: Geographic, Community Ranking, Community-Based Targeting, and Proxy Mean Testing.
Dapo Abiodun highlighted that the state-generated register aims to enhance the integrity and reliability of the NSR, ensuring that resources reach the intended beneficiaries. Each state is expected to plan the implementation of its cash transfer program based on its own social register because states are better positioned to conduct the necessary enumeration and maintain the integrity of the social record.
Furthermore, the NEC also proposed the implementation of a cash award policy for all public servants. The six-month cash award policy would enable subnational entities to provide their public servants with a prescribed amount of cash on a monthly basis.