SPW Programme: FG Paid N24.8 Billion As Stipends To 413,630 Beneficiaries

Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the Federal Government, (FG) has paid the sum of N24.8 billion as stipends to 413,630 beneficiaries of its Special Public Works Programme.

The Publisher Nigeria learnt that the Minister disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

What the Minister is saying:

“As at this morning people have started receiving their payment of N40,000 each; that is for those who have received N20,000 before but for those who had not received before and have finished their work, we are paying them N60,000 each.

“So, you will hear jubilation across the country because of that and this N60,000 will save so many lives across the country.

This is surely going to reflate the economy because we have designed it in a way that all the Local Government Areas will benefit.

“It is going to boost the economy from the very bottom because the beneficiaries are going to add this money to their businesses.

“So, as at this morning, we have so far paid 413,630 persons out of the 774,000 so we have achieved about 60 per cent.

“All of these people received N60,000 each and the total we have paid is N24,817,800, actual money given to Nigerians for them to cushion the effects of COVID-19 from the grassroots,” Keyamo said.

The Minister, however, said the entire targeted 774,000 beneficiaries may not be achieved because of the peculiarities of the screening process.

What you should know

• The Special Public Works Department is one of the four (4) core programmes organized by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), under Nigeria’s Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• The Ministry revealed that the 774,000 unemployed Nigerians were selected across the 774 local government areas in the 36 states and the FCT for community/environment public works. Each of the beneficiaries of the programme will be paid N20,000 monthly to carry out public works.
• Nairametrics reported in March that President Muhammadu Buhari directed the release of the funds for the payment of stipends to the 774,000 participants of the ongoing Special Public Works (SPW) Programme across the country.