According to the Jigawa State administration, between November 2021 and June 2022, N192.96 billion was spent on the Maternal and Child Cash Transfer (MCCT) program.
This information was provided at a three-day validation of Kaduna state‘s Graduation Youth-Focused Social Protection program on Wednesday in Kano by Ibrahim Rabakaya, executive secretary of the Jigawa State Rehabilitation Board.
According to Mr. Rabakaya, the initiative was launched in 2021 as a result of the success of the cash transfer program that an NGO called Action Against Hunger had executed in the state (AAH).
He said that the Child Development Grant program’s implementation of the MCCT provides the necessary proof of how well cash transfers work to combat poverty and vulnerability.
According to Mr. Rabakaya, the initiative targeted 5,740 pregnant and lactating women for conditional cash transfers across the state’s 287 political wards.
He added that 20 beneficiaries were selected from each of the 287 political wards to address stunting among children under five. According to Mr Rabakaya, every 5,740 beneficiaries received 32,000, N4,000 monthly from November 2021 to June 2022, amounting to N183.68 billion.
He added that N4 million was expended as extra charges, N688.8 million on bank charges, and N4.59 million on automated teller machines cards.
“However, 172 beneficiaries had issues with their Bank Verification Number, and their payment was not successful, but they will receive payment as soon as the issue is resolved,” he said.