Edo Govt Launches Bold Initiative: ₦20,000 Monthly for 314,000 Households as palliative

In a groundbreaking move, the Edo State Government is set to provide a monthly financial lifeline of ₦20,000 to around 314,000 struggling households. These households, comprised of individuals living below the poverty line, is said to have been meticulously identified and recorded in a reliable and credible social registration database.

This announcement was made during a press conference held on Wednesday at the Ministry of Communications and Orientation in Benin City. Leading the event were the Honorable Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon. Chris Nehikhare, and Mr. Crusoe Osagie, the Special Adviser on Media Projects to the Edo State Governor, who shared the details after the State’s Exco meeting.

By introducing this bold initiative, the Edo State Government aims to uplift and support those most in need in the state. The monthly financial assistance will serve as a palliative, enabling these households to meet their basic needs and move towards a brighter future.

It would be recalled that during the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protest about petrol subsidy removal on 2nd of August, 2023, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, met with them at the Edo State Government House and promised ₦500,000 monthly aid from its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the poorest of the poor in Edo State.

“I am pleased to report that after that commitment, we have to go back to our database because we have created the database of the poorest of the poor prior to this time by the Edo State Government, and that database, is being revised, reviewed, revalidated; which was done between 2019-2021, and we have about 314,000 households,” Nehikhare said.

He added, “While this implementation is going on, we are going to go back to these homes; local government to local government, as we have done before, to revalidate them, and also provide each person with the Edo residency card.

“We would register them, get their biometrics, and have NIN staff go along to capture those people that have not been captured before, and when this is done, maybe as early as next month, we will provide N20,000 for every household every month.

“We have the most credible data produced in conjunction with the World Bank. The World Bank came here, and organized the enumeration of vulnerable people,” he said.

Nehikhare emphasized that Edo State Government is not using Federal Government’s money, but committing its own IGR, which is a contribution from all Edo people involved with taxes, noting that it is a noble idea to help take as many Edo people off the poverty line.

While stressing the fact that the Edo State Government is taking the lead in cushioning the effects of petrol subsidy removal, Nehikhare was quick to add, “We have lots of challenges, of course, but what is a government without people?

“We have roads to fix, we have schools to fix, we have all sorts of things to do, but we are committing this to help people, to make sure no one is left behind.”

On the transparency of the database, Mr. Crusoe Osagie stated that the database was produced from a World Bank-sponsored organized enumeration survey that was done between 2019 – 2021.

“That survey was done between 2019-2021. It was a World Bank-sponsored initiative.
“We know that between then and now, a lot of things would have happened, some people would have died, some people would have become richer, and so on.

“We will update that list, that is what the Governor will use for this initiative,” Crusoe explained.