The Centre for Community Development and Research Network has commenced the empowerment of 2,230 beneficiaries with conditional and unconditional cash transfer across six local government areas in Kano State.
The Technical Director of the centre, Mr Abba Isyaku disclosed this while inaugurating the environmental sanitation and hygiene promotion programme on Saturday in Kano.
Isyaku said the programme was part of a United Nations Development Programme cash-for-work project with support of the Japanese government.
The director said the project was aimed at addressing the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in Kano and Lagos states.
Isyaku said the programme was in collaboration with the Kano State Government through the office of the Special Assistant to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje on Social Development Goals (SDGs).
“Out of the 2,230 beneficiaries of this programme, 1,600 will participate in cash-for-work category where they will be engaged in environmental sanitation and hygiene promotion across the six LGAs.
“Others will be engaged in ensuring the compliance of COVID-19 protocols across various schools in the selected areas like Gwale, Dala, Kano Municipal, Ungoggo, Fagge and Kumbotso LGAs,” he said.
Isyaku said some of the beneficiaries would be posted to some hospitals to assist in cleaning and clearance of refuse.
He said each of the beneficiaries in this category would be paid 80 US dollars (N38,400) monthly for the period of three months, starting from January.
Isyaku explained that the second category would be 630 small and medium business operators affected by the economic challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He disclosed that each of the 630 beneficiaries would be provided with 300 US dollars (N144,000) to revive or boost their businesses which were affected during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Special Assistant to Ganduje on SDGs, Mr Habib Hotoro said that apart from the beneficiaries of the programme, their communities would also benefit from their services.
Hotoro advised the beneficiaries to work hard to ensure that the programme succeeded, adding that supervisors would go round to monitor them.
He said that the issues of sanitation and empowerment were some of the major areas of focus of Ganduje’s administration.
Malama Sha’awa, one of the beneficiaries commended the gesture, saying that it would assist them to revive their collapsed businesses.
