NEC Rejects National Social Register, Proposes Cash Transfer Program for States
The National Economic Council (NEC) led by Vice President Kashim Shettima has decided to abandon the national social register introduced during Muhammadu Buhari’s administration due to concerns about its credibility.
Instead, the council has put forth a new proposal, suggesting the implementation of a cash transfer program for states based on their own social registers. Additionally, a cash reward policy for public servants for a duration of six months has been proposed.
The council’s decision was reached after a meeting that lasted over five hours at the state house on Thursday.
According to Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra, NEC agreed that each state should develop its own social register using both formal and informal methods. This approach aims to ensure that all beneficiaries can be easily identified at the subnational level.
Governor Soludo highlighted the council’s discussions on mitigating the effects of the recent petrol subsidy removal. Among the agreed measures are prioritizing the payment of outstanding liabilities of public servants, including pensions and gratuities, to ease their financial burdens.
Additionally, the government plans to channel funds towards micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by offering single-digit interest rates, which will help support the growth of businesses.
Back in 2016, the federal government launched the National Social Investments Programme (NSIP) with the aim of combating poverty and hunger nationwide. For the program’s commencement, N25 billion was promptly released by the government. To execute it effectively, a national social register was established, comprising names of impoverished individuals and households across the country.
