Nigeria’s finance minister, Wale Edun, announced that over 600,000 families have received cash transfers from the federal government.
This programme, which had been paused for review, resumed recently.
President Bola Tinubu had stopped the cash transfer programme on July 18, 2023, for review.
The programme is managed by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) and was paused for six weeks to look into possible mismanagement.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris confirmed on the radio that the government planned to restart these social help programs.
At a press briefing, Edun said President Tinubu is committed to helping ordinary Nigerians with transparent and accountable welfare programs.
He reported that since payments resumed, over 600,000 households received money this week.
Edun also spoke about the government’s progress in economic reforms, aiming to improve revenue in line with the 2024 budget.
He mentioned stopping the reliance on borrowing and predicted a 4% budget deficit for the year.
Edun acknowledged that these reforms might cause temporary problems but promised benefits soon.
He highlighted positive results like lower inflation and more foreign investments compared to last year.
One of the government’s main goals is to reduce food prices by boosting local production, as food costs affect inflation significantly.
Edun was optimistic about the economy’s recovery, expecting continuous growth, job creation, reduced poverty, and more investments to improve citizens’ welfare.
