The Federal Government has scaled up its National Cash Transfer Programme to reach 15 million vulnerable Nigerians, with Oyo State targeting struggling small business owners and informal workers among the beneficiaries.
Speaking during a stakeholder sensitisation meeting in Ibadan, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun, represented by Dr Mofoluwake Ibitoye, said the initiative is a vital tool for empowering vulnerable entrepreneurs and reducing economic hardship.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Donor Funds, Mrs Aderonke Adedayo, represented by Mrs Temitope Fagbola, disclosed that over 150,000 households — many of them engaged in petty trade, street vending, and other micro-enterprises — have already benefited within six months. Funds are transferred directly into accounts verified with NIN and BVN for transparency.
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Programme Manager Akintunde Gbadamosi noted that beneficiaries must be listed on the state's Social Register and possess valid NINs. He added that Oyo is working to streamline access through personal bank accounts and debit cards.
Agencies like NOA, NIMC, and DSS praised the programme's role in cushioning the effects of subsidy removal on small-scale entrepreneurs and pledged support for continued sensitisation and verification across the state.
