The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande has stated that more than 8 million Nigerians would benefit from the diverse social investment programmes in the 2016 budget spending in terms of job opportunities as well as would be a ready-made palliative to citizens.
Akande, who spoke in an interaction with newsmen in Abuja highlighted some of the interventions and palliatives considered by the government, noted that long before now the Presidency has made adequate arrangements in the 2016 budget to ensure that Nigerians are lifted from poverty and hardship.
He said: “The Federal Government palliatives will not only assuage the current pains arising from the new fuel pricing regime, but will provide ongoing social safety nets for over 8 million Nigerians this year alone.
“The Buhari presidency is keen to ensure that Nigerians are lifted and if necessary on an ongoing basis palliatives measures would always be considered to address the conditions of the people”.
He added that this is beside the jobs that would be created by the infrastructural projects that would be restored and the new ones that would soon be taking off.
He said: “These includes the direct payment of N5000 monthly to one million extremely poor Nigerians for 12 months as provided for in the 2016 budget for which N$68.7B has been appropriated.
“The direct provision of very soft loan for market women, men and traders, including artisans and agro-workers for a total of 1.76m Nigerians, without the requirement for conventional collateral with a total sum of N140.3billion already appropriated for this in the budget.
“Payment of between N23,000 to N30,000 per month to 500,000 unemployed graduates who would be trained, paid and deployed to work as volunteer teachers, public health officers and extension service workers among other responsibilities”.
