Kogi govt registers poor, vulnerable affected by COVID-19 for social intervention

By Correspondent in Lokoja

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

Kogi State Government says it has commenced registeration of the poor and Vulnerable affected by COVIDv-19 pandemic with an advice for the citizens of the state to take advantage to get registered.

Mr Asiwaju Asiru Idris, Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this during in a press conference in Lokoja on Tuesday, adding that government would sensitize the people toward the success of the programne.

The Commissioner called on those concerned to respond to messages on their phones and get registered inview of the advantages derivable from it.

Idris stressed that the benefits weree enormous with the programme known as Rapid Response Register, adding that it was designed as a shock response framework by the National Social Safety Net Program in collaboration with the world bank to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Asiwaju said”:The “Rapid Response Register” (RRR) is a shock response framework designed by the National Social Safety-Net Programme (NASSP) in collaboration with the World Bank to provide emergency social interventions to poor and vulnerable households in challenging circumstances (Natural disaster, epidemic, pandemic, economic downturn, etc).

“The RRR is therefore a Subset of the National Social Register (NSR) and State Social Register (SSR) but only deployed for emergency circumstances and interventions

“The Kogi State Government under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, in collaboration with Federal Government efforts, has designed to target and capture the urban and semi-urban areas in Kogi State that are economically impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. This is because the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed people deeper into poverty and
vulnerability.

“In Nigeria at large and Kogi State in particular, the economic impact of the pandemic has been felt mostly by urban and semi-urban dwellers, many of whom lost jobs, businesses and consequently incomes.

“Although Kogi State remains the safest state so far, but the global economic down turn, due the pandemic, has brought enormous hardship on our people.

“In response to these economic shocks, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in partnership with the World Bank is building the Rapid Response Register as an intervention to identify and document the urban and semi-urban poor who have lost their income and consequently become poorer because of COVID-19.

“The Register is being built in Kogi State to target those in the category of non-traditional poor people in urban and high-density locations or slums where the pandemic has affected economic life.

“Individuals/households in the Rapid Response Register will be paid a monthly stipend for at least six months under an expanded Cash _ Transfer Programme of the Federal Government. This will boost their consumption and help to build resilience.

“To identify those made poorer in Urban and semiurban areas for registration, geographical satellite remote sensing technology to locate urban poor wards and high-density settlements is deployed to Kogi State.

“Targeting and enrolment of affected individuals will be done, using cellphone short messaging service (SMS) technology that allows residents of identified communities register to be assisted by following simple steps via USSD codes.

“‘This technological approach is integrated with the National Living Standard Survey assessments and will be complemented by existing databases of NGOs, local
self-help-support groups and neighborhood structures in the communities.

“Mobile phone numbers of applicants, validated and deemed eligible for assistance, will be linked to digitized bank accounts to receive N5,000 monthly stipend.

“The Rapid Response Register will also serve as a database to deliver social assistance and emergency response during future emergencies or disasters. The register targets a total of 20 million Nigerians.

“The Kogi state government is using this medium to sensitize her citizens to respond promptly to messages on their phone and get registered.

“His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has directed this sensitization and wish all kogites to respond the messages on their phones and get registered accordingly as the benefits are enormous.”

The Reporters recalls that the virus which has killed millions of people globally ,was first announced in Wuhan,a district in China on December 31,2019,hence the name COVID-19, while the deadly disease entered Nigerian media space,first on February 27,2020.