The conditional cash transfer the APC promised during its campaign will kick off September ending, as the shortlisting of candidates for the 500,000 jobs in agriculture and teaching begins.
Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed told a delegation of the National Council for Women’s Societies (NCWS) who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday.
“The process for the recruitment has started. About 1.2 million people applied and they classified them into categories including agriculture support officers, teachers, technical officers and so on,’’ he said.
The minister also said that the payment of N5,000 conditional cash transfer promised by the government would begin before the end of the month.
“We are very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and we are not sleeping; we are working day and night to ensure that the country retraces its step,” he added.
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He said many of the critics have been unfair to the government because they know that the new administration did not invent the problems Nigerians are facing today.
“This is time to join hands together to support the government to move the nation forward,’’ he said.
The NCWA President Gloria Shoda said the body has confidence in the government effort to implement programmes for the advancement of girls and women in society.
She reminded the APC government of its promise to provide free maternal and children health care and implementation of the National Gender Policy.
Shoda also suggested a scholarship scheme for girls pursuing medical courses in the universities. This, according to her, will go a long way in addressing maternal and child mortality.