UNICEF Trains 52 Officials on Upscaling Cash Transfer Scheme

The United Nations Children’s Emergency Funds (UNICEF) on Wednesday commenced training of 52 officials from Zamfara and Kebbi States on upscaling Cash Transfer Programme (CTP). Supreme reports that the programme is aimed at reducing out of school children.

The programme, tagged ”Educate A Child-Cash Transfer Programme (EAC-CTP) scaling and continuation workshop”, was in collaboration with the two state governments and in partnership with Educate A Child (EAC) funded by Government of Qatar.

Malam Isa Ibrahim, a facilitator from UNICEF, said Nigeria is implementing the CTP as part of the initiative to empower rural communities affected by poverty in order to reduce the high number of Out-Of-School Children (OOSC). Ibrahim said the programme, which commenced in 2016 and expected to end in 2021, provides immediate cash support to female caregivers of children between six and 11 years of age and sensitises the beneficiaries as well as the wider communities on the importance of education.

He recalled that the first cash disbursements to beneficiaries on the programme was in 2018 and the primary objective of the programme is to increase the school enrolment and attendance rates for boys and girls. The facilitator added that the secondary objective is to reduce gender inequality in schools. ”It is part of the broader education programme, which aimed at addressing both demand and supply-side challenges of education in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States.

”There are discussions on a planned extension of the cash transfer programme into Katsina State in 2021.”The programme provides support to the Project Implementing Unit (PIU) to enroll recipients of eligible OOSC beneficiaries in the programme during household visit,” Ibrahim said. According to him, parents, caregivers and guardians are the recipients of cash disbursements because their OOSC are eligible.

He said female caregivers of children within the age of six to 11 in the catchment areas of EAC supported-selected LGAs, school community catchment areas with the highest proportion of OOSC are eligible. This is because the child as the intended beneficiary will receive N8,000 per transfer three times a year before the start of each school term for two years. ”The total amount equals N48,000, in year 2020, a total of 41,404 beneficiaries in 12 LGAs in Kebbi and Zamfara received cash transfers for a cumulative N331,232,000 disbursement as N8,000 is disbursed to each child beneficiary.

”In Kebbi, N248,456,000 benefited 31,057 children under the responsibility of 15,549 caregivers in nine LGAs of Suru, Maiyama, Danko/Wasagu, Bagudu, Koko/Besse, Shanga, Gwandu, Dandi, Argungu,” Ibrahim said. He explained that in Zamfara N82,776,000 benefited 10,347 under the responsibility of 6,440 caregivers in three LGAs of Bukuru and Zurmi Local Government Areas, while the United Bank for Africa (UBA) serves as a financial service provider on the programme, with a PO signed with UNICEF on Dec. 17, 2019.

Ibrahim said the challenges of upscaling the scheme centred on government’s political will as well as paucity of funds as many governments complained on funding in their respective budgets. He however expressed optimism that the calibre of participants would facilitate smooth upscaling of the scheme in recognition of its importance. Ibrahim urged people to consider educating a child as responsibility of all, stressing that wealthy individuals can assist in supporting less privileged families on education and other livelihood supports.

Earlier, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Mainasara Ahmad, said the state had recorded increased enrolments through the scheme conducted in eight local government areas by UNICEF. Ahmad said in recognition of the achievements recorded, Sokoto state government upscaled the programme to 23 local government areas. The commissioner explained that the population of OOSC had drastically reduced and pave way for enrolment, retention and completion of pupils especially the girl child. He expressed the state government commitment on sustaining the scheme and enjoined other states to emulate it to address out of school syndrome.

The commissioner noted that the scheme was part of the state government’s commitment to fighting poverty among vulnerable segments of the society.

Ahmed said the state government was working closely with development partners, particularly UNICEF, in the implementation of some social protection programmes. Supreme reports that presentations were made by Hajiya Safiya Muhammad and Azuka Menkiti from UNICEF along with online presentation by Christiana Cerlinca from Economic Policy Research Institute (PRI) in South Africa.