By VoiceofNigeria.ng Team on July 19, 2023
On this day, July 19th, 2023, we have some fresh news for you about the Rapid Response Register (RRR) payment.
This update covers the N30,000 RRR payment, the ASCCO COVID-19 RRR Second Batch Disbursement Update, and the Fuel Subsidy Removal Grants disbursement.
All of these initiatives fall under the umbrella of the National Cash Transfer Programme.
COVID-19 RRR Payment: A Ray of Hope
Good news is on the horizon for the COVID-19 RRR Payment Second Batch Applicants.
The Senate has approved the $800 Million Loan requested by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which was announced by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) via their official Twitter account.
Let’s take a step back for a moment. Dr. Ibraheem Adam, the temporary leader of the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), explained in November 2022 that an $800 Million loan was obtained from the World Bank to help Nigerians.
This loan matches the Federal Government’s goal to lift 100 Million Nigerians out of poverty. Giving out this money is a way to help beneficiaries rise above poverty, be productive, and create a sustainable way of living.
Previous Update and the Fuel Subsidy Removal Grant
In our last update, we talked about how the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning in the Buhari administration, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, confirmed the Federal Government’s procurement of a $800 Million Loan.
This loan aims to grow the National Social Safety Nets Programme, which also includes the Fuel Subsidy Removal Grant.
Mrs. Ahmed mentioned that while the Senate approved the release of the funds, there was a delay due to the switch to the President Tinubu Administration.
President Tinubu asked the National Assembly in a letter to modify the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act.
He wanted to set aside N500 Billion to ease the difficulties caused by the Fuel Subsidy Removal.
He also encouraged the National Assembly to greenlight the expansion of the National Social Safety Nets Programme (NASSP), highlighting its capacity to positively affect around 60 million people as a considerable solution to the ongoing hardships in the country.
With the National Assembly approving President Tinubu’s requests, the COVID-19 RRR Payment for the Second Batch Applicants and the Fuel Subsidy Removal Grant disbursement seem more likely to happen soon.
What is the RRR and the Fuel Subsidy Removal Grant?
We discussed in our last COVID-19 RRR Payment update that the Rapid Response Register (RRR) for COVID-19 Cash Transfer is a project assisted by the World Bank.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development initiated this. It aims to identify and register poor urban and semi-urban people who have lost income and are more impoverished due to COVID-19’s harsh economic effects.
The RRR Payment involves giving N5,000 as a monthly cash transfer for six months, totaling N30,000.
The Fuel Subsidy Removal Grant, meanwhile, is a Federal Government Grant aimed at lessening the difficulties caused by the removal of fuel subsidies. This policy was successfully carried out by the Tinubu-led Administration.
Under the former President Buhari Administration’s plan, the Fuel Subsidy Grant would provide N5,000 per beneficiary for six months. Similar to the Rapid Response Register (RRR) for COVID-19 Cash Transfer, it can be given as a lump sum of N30,000.
In President Tinubu’s recent letter to the National Assembly, he suggested giving N8,000 per beneficiary to about 12 million households for six months under the Fuel Subsidy Removal Grants Programme. NASSCO coordinates this program under the National Social Safety Nets Programme.
Addressing Critics of the N8,000 Fuel Subsidy Removal Grant
In response to someone criticizing the N8,000 Fuel Subsidy Removal Grant, who was worried about collecting vulnerable Nigerians and ensuring the money reaches them (as some might not have bank accounts), NASSCO clarified that vulnerable individuals already in the National Social Register have working bank accounts.
The Office also stated they would open bank accounts for other households to be included in the cash transfer intervention register.
