The Zamfara unit of the National Cash Transfer Programme is struggling to ease palpable tension as it says it has started an investigation into alleged non-payment of more than 10,000 cash transfer beneficiaries in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.

More than 10,000 beneficiaries from 17 communities in the local government area staged a protest on Thursday over alleged non-payment of their benefits since their enrolment in 2018.

The Training and Communication Officer of the unit, Mr Nasir Ja’afar told newsmen in Gusau on Monday that the matter had already been channelled to the National Cash Transfer Office, Abuja.

“We are aware of the uproar coming from communities in Tsafe Local Government Area over non-payment of the benefits.

“I am appealing to affected beneficiaries and communities to be patient as the issue has already been channelled to the National Cash Transfer Office, Abuja.

A total of 130,000 poor and vulnerable households were enrolled into the National Cash Transfer Programme in Zamfara in a pilot scheme.

The pilot scheme covered Anka, Bungudu, Birnin-Magaji, Kaura-Namoda, Tsafe and Talata-Mafara local government areas.

BRANDPOWER reports that the National Cash Transfer Programme is one of the social safety net programmes of the Federal Government.

The programme, conceived as part of Federal Government’s larger growth and social inclusion strategies to address key social concerns, began in September 2016.

It is a component of the National Social Safety Nets Project supported by the World Bank to provide financial support for targeted poor and vulnerable households.

The National Cash Transfer Programme also known as Household Uplifting Programme (HUP) is one of the social safety nets programmes anchored by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The programme commenced in September, 2016.  It was conceived as part of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s (FGN) larger growth and social inclusion strategies aimed at addressing key social concerns in the country.

It is a component of National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP) which is supported by the World Bank, to provide financial support to targeted poor and vulnerable Nigerian households.

The programme is focused on responding to deficiencies in capacity and lack of investment in human capital, especially amongst our poorest citizens. Beneficiaries of the programme are mined from the National Social Register (NSR), comprising State Social Registers (SR) of poor and vulnerable households. The SRs are being developed with the training, supervision and guidance from the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office in Abuja.