Government begins digitisation of conditional cash transfer in Lagos

*Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment says the digitisation process is necessary to ensure and further enhance transparency, accountability and integrity in the implementation of the social investment programme benefits to the beneficiaries in the state

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

The Federal Government commenced digitisation of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) process in order to enhance the activation of the programme in the cosmopolitan state in Nigeria.

Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke, Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Thursday, June 16, 2022, stated the digitisation effort would make payment easier for beneficiaries in Lagos State.

The Commissioner spoke at the flag-off of the Distribution of ATM Cards and Activation of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to Lagos State Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) beneficiaries, agency report said.

The digitisation, according to the Commissioner, became necessary to ensure and further enhance transparency, accountability and integrity in the delivering of programme benefits to beneficiaries.

Arobieke also confirmed that the beneficiaries of the CCT in Lagos State had been receiving the bi-monthly cash stipends from the programme.

She added that the beneficiaries had been availed with the much need capacity building skills, through the Savings & Group Mobilisation (SGM) trainings, which had being of immense benefits to their livelihood.

Arobieke said that the capacity building skills had culminated in the result of the success stories that had been shared across the targeted local government areas and local council development areas.

The Commissioner further noted that the Federal Government in partnership with the World Bank established the National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP), which had played a pivotal role at ending extreme poverty.

She stated: “From inception to date, the programme has successfully paid beneficiaries via a transparent and accountable means that enables the NASSP programme to pay beneficiaries at their door step through Payment Service Providers (PSPs).

“This process has made payment and reconciliation easy. In spite of this level of success, the programme is commencing a full digitisation of its payment processes.

“This digitised method will use online system of digital accounts (Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Numbers), opened by licensed PSPs such as commercial banks, microfinance banks, payment service banks and mobile money operators.”

Arobieke said: “This arrangement has become necessary to ensure and further enhance transparency, accountability and integrity in the delivering of programme benefits to beneficiaries.

“Our gratitude goes to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Mohammadu Buhari, for being a father to the nation and putting the programme in place with his audacious vision of lifting 100 million people out of the poverty net.”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Lola Orimoogunje, Head of Unit, Lagos State Cash Transfer, has said the beneficiaries are expected to change the default PINs when given their ATM cards.

Orimoogunje urged them to guide their PINs jealously, so that someone would not use it to withdraw the stipend from the bank, report stated.