We spent N4.4bn on poverty alleviation: Adamawa govt
Adamawa State government says over 40,000 people have benefitted from N4.4 billion, poverty alleviation program started since 2020 when the Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA) was established.
Hajiya Aishatu Bawa, the chairperson of the agency, stated at a media parley in Yola, that N2.4 billion was provided in the 2023 state budget for the agency to carry out its activities, while adding that N4.4 billion expended so far had been mostly on skills training programme, of which over 20,000 from across the the state have benefitted; as well as implementation of the Adamawa Social Support Programme under which a total of 20,175 underprivileged citizens are being given monthly support grants.
Bawa said this is in addition to soft loans being advanced to people in various kinds of small businesses.
She said: “The Bill establishing PAWECA was signed into law in 2020 to pursue wealth creation, a major idea of which is value reorientation of the people towards self-empowerment.
“We’ve had approvals and releases of over N4.4 billion to date. Also, in the budget of 2023, we have N2.445 billion approved for empowerment.”
Bawa, furthered that with specific reference to social support, a category of PAWECA’s interventions requires that potential beneficiaries are those made financially weak by circumstances that proved to be beyond them, subjecting them to need of external intervention.
“In our payroll for social support, we have 20,175 that are benefitting, cutting across the 226 political wards of the state,” she added.
