By Oboh Linus, Lafia
No fewer than 220,000 vulnerable households in Nasarawa State have benefited from the Federal Government’s Household Prosperity and Empowerment Programme.
Mrs Rhoda Agbawu, Nasarawa State HOPE Programme Manager disclosed this in Lafia
At a one-day step-down training on Safety and Security Measures for state staff and Local Government Desk Officers.
According to the state programme Manager, more than 220,000 vulnerable people in Nasarawa State have so far benefited from the HOPE programme, which is initially known as Conditional Cash Transfer.
Agbawu explained that the step-down training on environmental and social safeguard concept was due diligence of the World Bank, a chief supporter of the HOPE in Nigeria.
She said the safety and security training aimed to educate project implementers that safety and protection start with them.
Agbawu said the training was significant and timely, given the frequent security threats the staff were exposed to in the course of implementing the programme.
“As implementers of the programme, staff safety is very important, they should ensure that they are safe from physical and security threats, environmental and natural threats, cyber crime threats, among others.
“It must start with them as individuals before it is spread to other people, the beneficiaries, because if you are not safe and protected, you cannot protect others.
“The beneficiaries will be protected, as well as the data of the beneficiaries in the state because we are mandated to enroll and pay these beneficiaries’ stipends,” she said.
Agbawu said the Nasarawa state cash transfer unit has embarked on massive awareness creation to promote financial literacy amongst beneficiaries.
“Most of our beneficiaries’ level of education is low, and that makes them more vulnerable. Now, we are going to ensure that we teach them how to be safe and protected,” he said.
Some participants, Mohammed Dabo and Peter Famies who spoke at the training, described the training as apt and timely considering the high level of insecurity facing the country,
They noted that the training has exposed them to safety and security measures as well as tips that would significantly help them in the course of doing their job.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training featured the distribution of first Aid boxes to the State and Local Government Desk Officers(NAN)