The Kwara Government on Wednesday commenced the payment of stipends to social transfer beneficiaries in Asa Local Government Area of the state.

The programme, which is an offshoot of KWARA-CARES initiative, falls under the agenda of Nigeria COVID-19 Action recovery and economic stimulus programme (NG-CARES), a scheme inspired by the Federal Government in collaboration with the World Bank.

Speaking in Afon, the state Commissioner for Social Development, Madam Deborah Aremu, said the event signified the aspiration and people-centred policy of Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration in reaching out to the poor and vulnerable in the society.

She noted that the programme could not have come at a better time than now that socio-economic downturns occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the citizens, explaining that the intervention will help boost, sustain and restore the livelihoods of the beneficiaries.

“In the coming days, other social transfer beneficiaries across all the local government areas of the state will be accessing their first cycle (, 2022) stipends of N20,000 from their bank accounts, using the ATM cards that has been issued to each of them,” the sommissioner explained.

The Technical Head of Kwara Social Transfer Scheme, Dr Amina Yahaya, had earlier described the initiative as a well thought out programme aimed at ameliorating the attendant financial constraints and other socio-economic challenges of the pandemic.

The Chairman of Asa Local Government Council, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Atebise, represented by the Director of Personnel Management, Mr Gabriel Oyebanji, commended the governor for focusing on the well-being of the residents with provision of social support.

This, he said, would make their lives better and urged the beneficiaries to use the money judiciously.

Responding, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Abibat Yusuf, lauded efforts of the government and wished the governor a successful tenure.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the programme targets 1,690 beneficiaries across the 16 local governments with each receiving N20,000 of N10,000 bimonthly.

One hundred and nine 109 beneficiaries are savouring the intervention in Asa local government.

The programme, which covers four categories of people: the Aged, Persons living with Disability, chronically ill persons and urban poor, will have the 1,690 first set of people benefit for one year after which another set of beneficiaries would be integrated for another year to make a two-year period.

(NAN)