Abuja

The Federal government says it has commenced cash transfer to poorest households in the country to cushion effect of the coronavirus pandemic. Sadiya Farouk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has disclosed.

She made disclosure on Monday during a news briefing by the presidential task force on the disease.

Duaglobalnews reports that as at March 31, Nigeria has recorded 131 coronavirus cases and two casualties spread across 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory( FCT).

Farouk said the ministry had commenced advance payment of conditional cash transfer to the poorest households in the country.

She said the vulnerable group would also be expanded to consider more persons during the infection period.

The minister said:“In Mr. President’s speech, paragraph 54, he directed that the conditional cash transfer should be given in advance of two months. This we have also done.

“We have directed immediate cash transfer to the poorest and most vulnerable households in the country.

“Because of this COVID-19, the vulnerable groups have to be expanded because we are aware that there are people who live on daily wage,so we are also going to look at those groups of people to see how we can get this food relief intervention to them in this period.”

The minister said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had deployed trucks of relief materials to states affected by the coronavirus pandemic.