How To Apply For Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer

It is obvious this is the best of time for Nigerians living within the shores of the country; the level of hunger ravaging the country has taken a toll on the people.

Economic recession and food insecurity aren’t helping matters, and an average Nigerian finds it difficult to put food on the table.

However, it will be unfair to ignore government’s approach to tackling the situation. The Nigerian government initiated some poverty-alleviating programs— including The Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer— as part of its desire to improve the citizens’ standard of living.

So, what is The Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer, how can citizens benefit from it, what are the requirements, and how can you apply for it. Kindly read on to discover all this and other helpful information.

What Is The Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer

The Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer is one of the programs founded by the government to feed vulnerable Nigerians who have no steady source of income. It involves giving a certain amount of money to eligible Nigerians who has successfully registered.

Also known as CCT, it is a program geared towards ensuring that the less privileged and poor citizens have a little sum of money at the end of every month.

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development in charge of the initiative will move from one state to another, giving qualified and registered applicants at least ₦5,000.

It was reported in the media sometime last year that the amount given to beneficiaries in Sokoto and Ogun states increased tremendously as the government compensate for their inability to pay during COVID-19.

Meanwhile, you would love to know that the Conditional Cash Transfer isn’t only in Nigeria, it is organized in countries with a large population of poor citizens including Tanzania, Brazil, Bangladesh, Argentina, Egypt, etc.

When did conditional cash transfers start in Nigeria?

According to ResearchGate, the conditional cash transfer started in 2013 as part of the government’s measures to reduce the mortality rate among the poor and vulnerable pregnant women in the country.

In its report, over 2,000 women benefitted from the first two edition editions of the poverty-alleviating program between 2013 and 2014.

However, we discovered via our subsequent findings that the program’s origin can be traced back to early 2007 when the Nigerian government introduced the Care Of The People (COPE) CCT as one of NASSCO’s schemes.

How do conditional cash transfer programs work?

Registered applicants are paid a monthly stipend for their upkeep. However, you must be included in the government’s list of poor citizens who can’t afford a daily meal, mobile phones, social media accounts, and other important amenities.

You must register with the concerned agency by meeting all the requirements. Government representatives will come to a designated location within your state to hand over your cash every month.

What are the benefits of conditional cash transfer?

The benefits of the conditional cash transfer aren’t only limited to Nigerians, it equally benefits the country’s economy as a whole. Meanwhile, the importance of conditional cash transfer includes:

1. 1. It Improves Citizen’s Standard Of living: Though the CCT program doesn’t involve a huge amount of money, it still goes a long way in improving the welfare of the poor.
2. 2. It indirectly reduces social vices in the country: With the monthly stipend, beneficiaries will have the money to purchase some important items. It, therefore, prevent them from engaging in unhealthy practices.
3. 3. It enhances the country’s economy as there will be an improved spending capacity.
4. 4. It improve the education standard at the grassroots level

How to apply for Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer

Below are the step-by-step instructions on how to apply for Federal Government Conditional Cash:

1. The first step requires you to register with the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) agents.

YESSO representatives will be in your community or any nearby community chosen as a meeting ground.

Ensure your name is among the listed applicants before leaving the enumeration ground.

Step 2: The YESSO agents will go through the list and select the names of applicants who meet all the requirements. They will submit the names to the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO).

Step 3: NCTO will go through the list for further confirmation before giving it back to the YESSO agents who will paste it at open points in the community.

Step 4. Lastly, the NCTO will be in your location to capture eligible applicants’ faces to generate ID cards. The ID card will be given to you by the agents, and you must present it whenever it’s time to receive your stipends each month.

What Are The Criteria for The Conditional Cash Transfer

You must meet the following requirements to benefit from the Federal Government Conditional cash Transfer program:

• 1. You don’t have a bank account.
• 2. You don’t have a Smartphone or social media accounts.
• 3. You are not financially buoyant to attend a school or send your children to school.

Are conditional cash transfers effective?

It is effective to some extent. As much as there is a need for improvement, the program has managed to help numerous vulnerable Nigerians.

For instance, it is said that the Kano state government channeled the initiative towards improving girls’ education in the state.

The state government reached an agreement with the concerned authorities so the stipend will be diverted towards providing every girl child the materials and equipment needed to succeed in school.

Conclusion

Though this program is mainly designed for extremely poor people, the elite and middle-class citizens often hide their financial status to benefit from it.

Hence, it’s very important the ministry in charge deploy a better strategy to limit the number of citizens manipulating the system.

Meanwhile, you might have anyone in this category, don’t hesitate to share this information with them.

The stipend may be a token to you, but it will play a significant role in helping them live a better life. Click here to visit NASSCO’s official website for more details.

Sources:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/States-selected-for-CCT-Pilot-Programme-List-of-the-states-selected-for-the-Conditional_fig5_269775122

https://nassp.gov.ng/national-cash-transfer-programme/

https://guardian.ng/news/fg-begins-payment-of-conditional-cash-transfer-in-ogun/