The Federal Government has identified 15 poorest local government areas in Kano State for the implementation of its National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP) in the state.

The programme is aimed at empowering poor and vulnerable households in the country.

Mr Peter Papka, National Coordinator of the National Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), disclosed this at the training workshop on Community Based Targeting Team (CBTT) for identification of the poor and vulnerable in Kano on Wednesday.

He said 180 persons identified from the 15 local government areas would be trained on CBTT process that would guide identification of the beneficiaries in the selected areas.

He said the Federal Government would work in partnership with the state Ministry of Planning and Budget to identify the poor and vulnerable households and maintain the social register of the beneficiaries under the programme.

“That register will henceforth serve as a platform for all poverty interventions that will come to the state either from the federal government or donor agencies,” Papka further said.

He explained that the programme was aimed at establishing the building blocks of a national social safety net system for effective targeting and delivering of targeted cash transfers and livelihoods support to extreme poor and vulnerable households.

“While government spending on poverty reduction interventions has been on the increase, there has not been commensurate movement of people out of poverty.

“In recognition of this unacceptable trend and its implication to national development, the Federal Government felt it necessary to build stronger institutions and systems to sustain poverty reduction interventions,” Papka said.

According to him, 11 states had selected for the programme under the first phase, while nine additional states will be engaged in the programme in the next six months.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said the state government had earmarked N500 million for the implementation of a similar programme in the state this year.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, the governor commended the Federal Government for initiating the programme.

Ganduje noted that the programme would go a long way in alleviating the hardship being experienced by the less-privileged in the society. (NAN)

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