Tag: Janet Ekpenyong

The National Cash Transfer Office recently held an orientation/training  for State and National Officers on  effective programme delivery and implementation of the “National Social Safety Nets Project Scale Up” for the vulnerable, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Declaring the event open, the National Coordinator of National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), Dr Akindele Egbuwalo welcomed the participants and reiterated the Federal Government’s Commitment to reach 75 million households in the Scale-Up Conditional Cash Transfer, to boost the  economic needs of the vulnerable across the 36 states of the country and the FCT.

He highlighted other social investment programmes, such as the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, GEEP etc, that the Federal Government will be using to reach more vulnerable people in the country and encouraged Nigerians to continue to support the Federal Government.

He also congratulated the National Cash Transfer Office on the successes recorded in the first phase of the exercise; applauding the leadership and all staff who worked tirelessly for the nation’s gain.

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Also speaking, the National Coordinator of NCTO, Dr Michael Ajuluchuku said the national orientation/training for State and National Officers was to build their capacity to ensure effective programme implementation. He also said that the need to step up the programme became imperative to cushion the recent petrol subsidy removal, electricity hike, as well as various natural and human disasters.
Dr Ajuluchuku also tasked the National and State Officers to ensure optimal service delivery across the country.

In her welcome address, the Deputy National Coordinator (DNC), National Cash Transfer Office, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, applauded the states team for quality representation and management of the programme which recorded satisfactory success in the previous phase of the NASSP programme.

She noted that without the corporation of the State Officers, the programme would have suffered under performance due to influences from groups which may have resulted into poor enumeration, capturing and funds disbursement to deserving individuals and households and other challenges.

Dr Ekpenyong encouraged improved and sustained stakeholders engagement at the Federal and State levels to foster strong collaboration and improved service delivery. She also advocated for proper information dissemination to beneficiaries, noting that the success of the programme is not just in the disbursement of funds but the ultimate utilisation of the said funds for the shared prosperity of all.

The DNC thanked the World Bank team and other stakeholders for their commitment and unflinching support in complementing the Federal Government’s effort to alleviate millions of Nigerians out of poverty in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.

The Deputy Director Planning, who spoke on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Alhaji Musa Balla Tefida, said the President is committed to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty in record time, hence the need to tirelessly work towards achieving set goals.

Speaking after the programme, some of the states representatives thanked the leadership of the National Cash Transfer Office for organising the programme to keep them updated on the essence of the NASSP Scale-Up and ways of effectively delivering their duties in their various states.

The orientation exercise had in attendance Communications Officers, Monitoring and Evaluation experts, as well as Grievance Redress Mechanism Officers, MIS, Operations Officers, Heads of Units and National NCTO Officers.

At the end of the three day orientation,  it is expected that all participants are abreast of the technicalities in translating the FG Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer programme as envisaged by Mr president, His Excellently, Ahmed Bola Tinubu into a working reality, as well as passing the knowledge to their subordinates in the local government and community levels.

Nigeria, the World’s most populated black country, has enjoyed a Quarter of a Century uninterrupted civilian rule and Democratic transitions, cementing its place as the Giant of Africa.

With June 12th recently recognized as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, millions have joined Nigerians in celebrating this feat.

In a message to celebrate the day, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, the Deputy National Coordinator, National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) called on all Nigerians to remain patriotic and rise in defense of the sovereignty, integrity, and liberty of the Nation, for optimal productivity and greatness.

She praised all the heros of Democracy including the Incumbent President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu who through his heroism and activism, altered the military rule and set the pace for building the Peace, Tranquility and Agenda of a new Nation devoid of bigotry, ethnic and religious sentiments.

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“Today, we honour the resilience of our great nation and the enduring spirit of Democracy. Let us continue to strive for the unity in our Renewed Hope , justice and the progress as we celebrate 25 years of unhindered Democracy in Nigeria.”

She prayed God to continually uphold the Nation with visionary leadership, which will protect and preserve the territorial integrity and dignity of the Nation.

The National Cash Transfer Office, in collaboration with the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UKFCDO) has held a roadmap validation workshop for effective representation, wider coverage, adaptation, and implementation of cash transfer program to over 140 million Nigerians said to be in extreme poverty.

The workshop is part of activities earmarked for the enlightenment and sensitization on NCTO framework for staff and partners for optimal service delivery in tune with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope mantra and the Honourable Minister, Dr Betta Edu’s resolve to alleviate millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

Flagging off the exercise, the  Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and poverty Alleviation, Mr Abel Olumuyiwa stated that the role of the exercise is to navigate a proper framework to drastically lift the over 140 million Nigerians off the Poverty line and create a lasting livelihood scheme for beneficiaries.

Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, the Deputy National Coordinator, National Cash Transfer Office, Dr Janet Ekpenyong  said the Roadmap will help restructure the already laid patterns of engagement and help in the development of an effortless but realistic National Cash Transfer Programme, in collaboration with the National Social Safety Net Coordination Office (NASSCO), who coordinate the national social register.

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She said the organization, which is headed by Dr Michael Ajuluchuku, the National Coordinator, employs the principles of people, product, process, and partnership, which Promotes, empathy, integrity, dignity of beneficiaries, total inclusiveness of all eligible persons and communities, quality service delivery, and operation on an independent basis without any external or undue influence.

She encouraged participants to ensure  that at the end of the validation workshop, there will be an improved roadmap which will serve as an advocacy tool to mobilize resources for the cash transfer program to provide social protection for the targeted 15 million households, to reduce or eliminate poverty, inaccessibility to health care facilities especially in rural communities.

Laying the overview of the Cash transfer office, Mrs Sadiya Abdullahi who heads the Enrollment unit of NCTO, noted that the NCTO has recorded numerous successes since it’s lunch 7 years ago and being recognized as the most effective cash transfer program in the Continent covering over 2 million households in both rural and urban communities calls for deliberate approach from Government at all times.

She noted that with due considerations to the most pressing needs of households such as poor school attendance for children,inadequate food supply inadequate access to healthcare, and persistent poverty, the program will deliver in record time.

Also speaking, representative of the UkFCDO, Miss Claire reiterated their commitment to support NCTO  in the development and implementation of the Roadmap. She acknowledged the federal government’s commitment in the provision of some essential needs in tackling poverty, malnutrition, insecurity, and hunger, amongst others, which their support will further complement.

The National Cash Transfer units  state leads, UKFCDO, together with other organizations such as the World Food Program, UNICEF,  Save the children, state representative amongst others who were present pledged their support in order to achieve 100% coverage and implementation based on the new roadmap and policy plans.

The high point of the event was the interactive sessions by panelists and contributors, which will feed into the development of the roadmap.

Among those present were Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, NCTU heads from the various States, representatives from the World Food Program, UNICEF, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs amongst others.

A team from the United nations children Trust Fund, UNICEF have met with the Leadership of the National Cash  Transfer Office to interact on measures to boost works in the Alleviation of poverty in the country.

They visited to discuss measures in tackling multi dimensional poverty among all Nigerians with hopes of minimizing the influx of people into the sliding poverty index.

The aim is to help cultivate a robust working relationship and ride on the guiding principles of equity, fairness and accountability in line with the Renewed Hope mantra of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and guidelines of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs headed by Dr Betta Edu.

The team received by the National Coordinator, Dr Michael Ajuluchuku and Deputy National Coordinator, National Cash Transfer Office, Dr Janet Ekpenyong was assured of harmonious working relationship in order to help Alleviate the over 133 million Nigerians said to be living below the Poverty index across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.

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According to the National Coordinator, Dr Michael Ajuluchuku,  the need to reinforce the actions and update the National social Register is imminent in order for the policy thrust of the government to be felt by the vulnerable. He further reiterated the  commitment of the office to partner with organizations such as UNICEF that will support Cash Transfer , as it is one of the solutions to ending poverty. He also solicited for support in the areas of capacity building and input on the restructuring of the program.

In her response, The Deputy National Coordinator, National Cash Transfer Office, Dr Janet Ekpenyong called for the formation of a Technical Working Group in alliance with sister MDAs and stakeholders in communicating with Nigerians on the gains recorded through the Cash Transfer Office.

She said, the  National  Cash Transfer Program, which is one of the areas the Honourable Minister, Dr Betta Edu is prioritizing as a tool to  fight poverty and will continue to promote innovations especially on cash transfer that will help provide sources of livelihood, income and knowledge to the vulnerable across the country noting that  advocacies will commence soon as traditional communication means are already being lined up in communities. She further advocated for the reduction of fragmentation of cash transfer program in the country while soliciting for support to coordinate stakeholders in the cash transfer space in the country.

In their separate responses, representatives of UNICEF headed by the Chief of social policy, Mr Hamidou Poufon congratulated the new team for their appointments, assuring them of maximum cooperation and supports in meeting with their targets.

They called for a formation of child grant as part of the major social security and protection policy to bring an end to inflating Poverty rate in the country.

They acknowledged the efforts of the Humanitarian Ministry under the leadership of Dr Betta Edu in prompt responses to natural disasters like flood, conflicts and communal crisis which daily contributes to the loss of lives and means of livelihood affecting parents and their children alike.

They said even though there are reservations  in the productivity of cash transfer, and sometimes doubts by Nigerians, millions have become beneficiaries, which has helped cushion the effects of perennial poverty across many zones in the country.

Both teams are expected to produce a working document that when conceptionalized , will create the perfect template for modern day livelihood sustainable scheme.
Also, in the meeting, were other technical staff of the National Cash transfer office and UNICEF staff including Nkatha Nobure and Segun Tekun.