The federal government said Monday that the second disbursement of over N1.3 billion under the Household Uplifting Programme-Conditional Cash Transfer (HUP-CCT) will be shared amongst 131,764 beneficiaries in Zamfara.

Head of HUP-CCT’s Unit Cash Transfer in Zamfara, Sani Marafa, told reporters in Bungudu Local Government Area of the state, that the disbursement will be conducted across six benefitting LGAs.

Mr. Marafa, represented by the Training and Communication Officer, State Cash Transfer Unit, Zamfara, Nasiru Ja’afar, listed the benefitting LGAs as follows:

Kaura-Namoda – 31,731 beneficiaries, Bungudu – 26,438, Anka – 14,952, Talata-Mafara – 18,229, Birnin-Magaji – 13,858 and Tsafe – 25,551.

“Under the scheme, each beneficiary will be paid two months stipend of N10,000,” the official said while monitoring the disbursement exercise.

He added: “Those beneficiaries have been selected from 1,116 communities in 51 wards of the six benefiting LGAs.”

The HUP-CCT ranks amongst the four social investment programmes (SIPs) of the federal government, aimed at reducing escalating poverty levels in Nigeria.

The SIPs have, nonetheless, been repeatedly criticised for not trickling down to vulnerable Nigerians – its targeted beneficiaries.