What appears to be Nigerians first social security initiative has been introduced by the Federal Government. It is called the Conditional Cash transfer (COPE).

This programme was designed by National Poverty Eradication Programme, (NAPEP) for the poor in the country.

As with the COPE, the welfare programme provides cash transfers to qualified individuals or households on the condition that they change their behaviour in favour of a common good to the society.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, disclosed this during the commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) in Abuja, stating that Vision 20:2020 effective synergy is being built across various government institutions and the private sector to achieve a much higher level of living for Nigerians, and the poor are not left out.

He said:“The COPE conditions are tied to primary school attendance and utilisation of basic health care facilities. For extremely poor families, the cash provided by COPE provides emergency assistance, while the conditionality’s promote longer-term investment in human capital for breaking the inter-generational transfer of poverty.

“COPE targets poor female headed households, headed by special disadvantaged groups. Specifically, these households must have children of basic school age.
“Today, in our poor otherwise unreached communities, NAPEP has been able through COPE to keep well over 100,000 in schools. These extremely poor kids before COPE had to farm and hawk on the street for their families’ survival.

“Fighting poverty is not just a NAPEP responsibility. It is a call not only as highlighted by the United Nations General Assembly. It is a duty that God and nature demand from us. It is a duty we owe the poor. Unless and until, we discharge it, it remains a burden we would always bear,” he stressed.

Speaking, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, maintained that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) decent work involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the work place and social protection for the families. It also involves better prospects for personal development and social integration.

Therefore, to bridge the gap between poverty and decent work, the Federal Government has in line with the ILO provision made conscious efforts at creating decent jobs for its citizenry.
The Secretary of NAPEP, Mr. Dan Mou, laments that the 2010 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty comes at a time when people living in poverty and informal sector workers are even more uncertain about employment, stability, work conditions, training opportunities and the availability of social protection.

According to the International Labour Organisation, (ILO),  the share of workers in vulnerable employment worldwide is estimated to reach more than 1.5 billion, equivalent to over half 50.6 per cent of the world’s working population.

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wait and see how the diasporians will write it off as a useless venture.

Another cheap propaganda that has no impact on the lives of Nigerians

Not a bad idea if implemented well, I hope its not an avenue for some govt officials to steal money tho