House Investigates Delay in Payment of Conditional Cash Transfer

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an Ad–hoc Committee to investigate delay in the payments of Conditional Cash Transfers that caters for poor and vulnerable households across the country.

The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion moved at the plenary on Wednesday by Hon. Abass Adigun.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker explained that the federal government in partnership with the World Bank developed a Social Safety Nets Programme in September 2016.

He explained that the National Cash Transfer Office is responsible for the implementation of the Household Uplifting Programme-Conditional Cash Transfers that caters for poor and vulnerable households across the country.

Adigun noted the programme was conceived as part of the federal government’s larger growth and social inclusion strategies aimed at addressing key social concerns in the country.

He said in order to ensure effective and efficient delivery of the Programme in August 2024, nominees for the programme were informed that they would be paid the sum of N 50,000 each for three months.

The lawmaker explained that the details of the nominees were filled online in the portal dedicated to the programme and thereafter submitted to the National Cash Transfer Office.

Adigun stressed that the payment was to be made directly to the nominees’ bank accounts nationwide and was aimed at cushioning the effect of the economic hardship of the nominees, who are mostly the poor and vulnerable.

He expressed worry that some nominees received payment months after information was completed and submitted to the portal, while others nominees have not, while the National Cash Transfer Office has not responded to the payment of other nominees to date.

The House resolved to, “Set up an Ad–hoc Committee to investigate the delay in the payments to other nominees of the Household Upliftment Programme Conditional Cash Transfer of the Federal Government of Nigeria and report within four weeks for further legislative action.”