The federal government has disbursed stipends to 1,381 vulnerable residents of Edo under the latest phase of the Household Prosperity and Empowerment cash transfer programme.

Bisi Idaomi, Edo Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Andrea Olu-Martins.

Ms Idaomi said eligible households received N75,000, while eligible individuals received N25,000 each.

According to the commissioner, the disbursement aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Monday Okpebholo’s SHINE Agenda.

She said the beneficiaries were drawn from Egor and Ovia North-East Local Government Areas, and their stipends were disbursed through debit cards issued under the cash transfer programme.

“The beneficiaries comprise 870 from Egor and 511 from Ovia North-East Local Government Areas of the state.

“This programme is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction in collaboration with the Edo State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, with support from the State Cash Transfer Unit (SCTU), the National Cash Transfer Office, and the World Bank,” she explained.

Ms Idaomi asserted that the intervention aimed to improve the welfare of vulnerable households and strengthen the state’s social protection system.

She disclosed that the exercise, which began in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, would be extended in phases across the remaining local government areas, with 15,000 vulnerable residents expected to benefit.

“The Household Prosperity and Empowerment Programme has moved to Egor and Ovia North-East Local Government Areas, where a total of 1,381 eligible vulnerable beneficiaries have received debit cards as part of the 15,000 cards being distributed across Edo,” she said.

Ms Idaomi explained that beneficiaries underwent screening and verification using their National Identification Number (NIN) before their debit cards were activated and handed over by officials of the State Cash Transfer Unit.

She said the verification process was designed to ensure transparency and accountability.

According to her, only qualified beneficiaries accessed the intervention.

The commissioner expressed confidence that the cash transfer programme would cushion the economic hardship facing vulnerable households while boosting the state’s social safety net.

(NAN)