News

LASG palliatives distribution seamless, no casualties, no disruptions

Published

2 months ago

April 4, 2024

NewsDirect

…Sanwo-Olu attributes success to planning, stakeholders involvement

By Sodiq Adelakun

Amidst nationwide reports of chaotic scenes and tragic outcomes during the distribution of palliatives, Lagos State emerged as a beacon of effective planning and execution.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu attributes this success to meticulous planning and robust stakeholder engagement.

Unlike the chaotic scenes witnessed in other parts of the country, the distribution of food items to vulnerable households in Lagos is conducted with precision through various channels.

Utilising groups, institutions, NGOs, and community associations, the state ensures that assistance reaches those in need. The Social Protection Department, operating under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, leverages a social register of vulnerable individuals to facilitate targeted support.

Additionally, to uphold transparency, a Monitoring Committee, comprising representatives from diverse sectors, oversees the process. This coordinated effort underscores Lagos State’s commitment to effective governance and safeguarding the welfare of its citizens.

The members were drawn from religious groups, Trade Unions, People with Disability, Civil Society/Non-Governmental organisations, Youth Group, Community Development Councils and representatives of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The distribution was phased among the various beneficiary groups for ease of distribution process. In line with this plan, each group was duly informed of the date of collection.

Sanwo-Olu had on Sept. 3, 2023, flagged-off the Lagos Food Bank Programme to distribute food to 500,000 households to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal and the harsh economic situation in the country.

The governor said over 2,500 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were involved in bag manufacturing, food aggregation, packaging, and logistics as part of the programme, while over 25,000 employees of the MSMEs are indirectly impacted.

He said the strategy was to reach 500,000 vulnerable households in the state with staple food items using two methodologies – bulk food items (50kg Rice, 50kg Garri and 100kg Beans) for groups, and food boxes (10kg Rice, 5kg Garri, and 5kg Beans) for individual vulnerable households.

Lagos Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye also underscored the importance of planning and stakeholders’ engagement in distribution of palliatives.

He told journalists on Wednesday in Lagos that his organisation engaged security personnel in all the steps involving the distribution of palliatives.

“In all situations we included security; at least an Area Commander and not less than five Divisional Police Offices and their teams.

“We ensure that the space to be used is big and open enough, surrounded with strong barriers that are mounted by staff of NEMA, and not by the Nigeria Police Force,” Farinloye said.

He said before the day of distribution, the agency held expanded meetings with the different stakeholders.

“First, we compile lists of all impacted members of the community, followed by sensitisation on what we intend to do and how it would impact the beneficiaries.

“Working with the community stakeholders like the Community Development Area, Traditional rulers, and political office holders and politicians within the area, we identify volatile areas in the community and give pep talks on how the community could help us to assist them.

“Our Option B is Emergency Preparedness for the exercise,” Fainloye said.

According to him, the agency takes into consideration the weather conditions and changes in temperature in the season and factored them into its plans.

He said if the distribution was carried out during the dry season, for instance, it would consider that some persons would suffer exhaustion, thereby putting in place plans to forestall it.

“We carry out pre-assessment studies on hospital holdings, putting into consideration that some of the beneficiaries could be hypertensive,” Farinloye said.

He said during the distribution proper, bulk SMS and printed tickets were sent to beneficiaries, to ensure that they were attended to in an orderly manner.

Farinloye said the palliatives or materials to be distributed had also been tagged to correspond with the tickets of the beneficiaries.

News

I have one less school fees to pay – Gov. Makinde remarks as his daughter graduates from Yale (See Pictures)

Published

53 mins ago

May 21, 2024

NewsDirect

The Governor of Oyo State, Engr.Seyi Makinde has expressed relief on the graduation of his daughter from Yale University.

Makinde on his instragram is quoted to have expressed relief that he has one less school fees to pay.

The Governor prayed that his daughter will have the best in this new chapter of her life noting that her hardworking and diligence has paid off.

Well wishers who attended the graduation include the First Lady of Oyo State, Tamunominini Olufunke Makinde, Governor of Kwara state, Abdulrazaq AbdulRahman, Hon. Adedeji Olajide representing Ibadan North West/South West Federal Constituency, amongst others.

News

1,681 vulnerable Lagos residents get N1bn financial assistance

Published

6 hours ago

May 21, 2024

NewsDirect

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Lagos State Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement has provided financial assistance worth N1 billion to 1,681 vulnerable residents, aimed at alleviating economic hardship.

According to Dr. Tajudeen Afolabi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, this financial support is a demonstration of the state government’s commitment to the welfare of its citizens.

Speaking on Monday during the ongoing ministerial press briefing to mark the second term in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dr. Afolabi also announced that the Governor plans to revive the school feeding programme for primary school pupils before the end of the year.

He said the move is expected to benefit thousands of pupils across the state, providing them with a nutritious meal during school hours.

According to him, “Sanwo-Olu Listens’ financial assistance to struggling Lagosians is a social welfare programme designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable citizens in Lagos State has been sustained for five consecutive years.

“It is a fact that Lagos is not immune from the ever-increasing poverty rate in Nigeria, hence the government of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, cognisance of this unpalatable trend has therefore taken necessary steps in providing support to help reduce poverty.

“During the period under review, 1,681 vulnerable residents of Lagos State were assisted in one way or the other.”

He added that 1,074 individuals are still awaiting this benefit, which will be addressed within the next two weeks.

“So far, we have spent N1 billion on financial assistance since the program began. Once we complete the distribution to the remaining beneficiaries, we will provide the total sum expended.”

Regarding the school feeding program for primary school pupils, the Commissioner stated, “Once we finalise all the details, we will provide an update. There are many steps involved, including determining the number of pupils.”

“By the end of the year, we will disclose the total amount spent on the school feeding program.”

He also mentioned that to ensure proper engagement and feedback, the state government launched the Lagos Citizens Gate App in April 2023.

News

1.2 million students to benefit from loan fund in initial phase — Official

Published

6 hours ago

May 21, 2024

NewsDirect

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that up to 1.2 million students in federal tertiary institutions will be eligible for student loans in the program’s initial phase.

This was revealed on Monday by the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, ahead of the formal launch of the application portal on Friday.

According to Sawyerr, students from federal institutions that have completed uploading their data will be able to apply for the loan in this first phase, which begins on May 24.

The application process has been streamlined to ensure ease of access for all qualified students in these institutions.

The NELFUND program is a key part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at providing financial support to needy students. The loan will cover obligatory fees and stipends, enabling students to pursue their academic goals without worrying about the financial burden.

He also added that the Fund will pay 100 percent of institutional fees directly to the institutions of learning account while also providing stipends to the students monthly based on when school is in session.

He stressed the importance of some of the key features of the student loan including, No physical contact between the loan applicant and NELFUND, a user-friendly Loan Application portal, comprehensive support where applicants can access online support to assist and flexible repayment plans.

According to him, “We encourage all students in federal institutions to take advantage of this opportunity to secure the required financial assistance for their education. Applicants must submit their applications as early as possible to ensure timely processing.”