"One million poor Nigerians to be paid N5000 monthly in 2016" - Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says one million poor Nigerians will be paid N5000 monthly as it has been appropriated for in the recently passed 2016 budget. In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said N68.7 billion has been budget for this purpose.

The statement also adds that more than 8 million Nigerians will benefit from palliatives and incentives planned out for by the Federal Government this year to help cushion the effect of our harsh economic realities.

“Altogether, the Federal Government would be directly impacting the lives of more than eight million Nigerians in different social investment 2016 budget spending that would provide succor and be a ready-made palliative to ordinary Nigerians. The direct payment of N5000 monthly to one million extremely poor Nigerians for 12 months as provided for in the 2016 budget for which N68.7B has been appropriated. There is also a direct provision of very soft loan -cash for market women, men and traders, including artisans and agric workers. This would be for a total of 1.76m Nigerians, without the requirement for conventional collateral. Some of the traders will likely get about N60,000. A total sum of N140.3b has already been appropriated for this in the budget.” According to him, there will also be payment of between N23,000 to N30,000 per month to 500,000 unemployed graduates who would be trained, paid and deployed to work as volunteer teachers, public health officers and extension service workers, among other responsibilities. “They would also be given electronic devices to empower them technologically both for their assignments and beyond,” the statement added According to Osinbajo, N191.5 billion has been set aside by the Federal government to train and pay 100,000 artisans. “At least 5.5 million Nigerian primary school children –i.e. starting first in 18 states-three per geopolitical zones-would be fed for 200 school days under the free Homegrown School Feeding Programme. N93.1B has been appropriated for this in the 2016 budget. 100,000 tertiary students in Science Technology Engineering & Maths-STEM, plus Education will partake in the N5.8b already provided for this education grant in the budget. This payment would also be paid directly to the students.”the statement adds