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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has flagged off a three-day step-down training for desk officers, grievance redress officers, and enumerators on the enrolment and integration of National Identity Numbers (NIN) into the National/State Social Register (SSR).
The training was organised by the Benue State Government through the State Operation Coordinating Unit (SOCU) and the Benue State Budget and Economic Planning Commission, in collaboration with the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
It was organised in compliance with the presidential directive of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration for the Federal Government Cash Transfer (CCT) Programme for the poor and vulnerable people in Nigeria, aimed at providing identity to the unlettered, poor, and vulnerable households across the country.
Declaring the training open, the State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, represented by his Deputy, Barr. Sam Ode, said the event demonstrates a commitment to improving national systems and ensuring that data-driven processes are more inclusive, accurate, and efficient, as solicited by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government.
The Governor said the NIN is not just a number but represents a fundamental part of national identity and an essential tool that provides each citizen with a unique and verifiable identity in the digital and administrative systems of the country.
He said, “The integration of this number into the Social Register is not just a technical advancement, but a leap towards making our social welfare programs more efficient, transparent, and accessible to everyone.”
He noted that by aligning the Social Register with the National Identity Number, “we are ensuring that the services we offer, reach the right people, in a way that is both inclusive and accurate.”
He assured the trainees that they would be equipped with the tools, knowledge, and best practices needed to effectively incorporate the NIN into the existing systems. Benue would create a future where no one is left behind but rather ensure that every citizen is properly counted, their needs identified, and no one falls through the cracks.
Also speaking, the Director General of the State Budget and Economic Planning Commission, Prof. Jerome Andohol, said that at the assumption of office of the Alia administration, the number of Poor and Vulnerable Households (PVHHs) on the Social Register was 417,743, while the number of individuals was 1,661,039.
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Andohol, who noted that there has been tremendous improvement in the update of the data, said they have recorded an increased number of PVHHs to 496,993, while the individual number has increased to 1,746,411, explaining that 79,250 PVHHs and 85,372 individuals have been added to the Social Register within the period of the Governor Alia-led administration.
He observed that over time, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) meant for the poor and vulnerable does not clearly reach the targeted audience due to a lack of proper and clearly identified account details and/or unique identifiers, thereby shortchanging them of their legitimate benefits.
He said the essence of the training exercise, therefore, is for enumerators to be trained on the technology and modalities of integrating NIN into the account details of those listed in the Social Register and to collect/collate account details and NIN of those who did not have them but already existed in the SR.
He said, “This exercise is sacrosanct to our people benefiting from the FG palliative to cushion the harsh effect of the fuel subsidy removal, and lift them out of poverty on the one side and create a financial inclusion and reduce cash in circulation.”
He therefore charged them to ensure success in both the training and field exercise and not to disappoint the state government, considering the huge investment and the trust reposed in them.
Speaking on “Harnessing the Power of Data for Social Inclusion,” the National Programme Manager (NPM) of NASSCO, Mrs. Funmi Olotu, represented by the Head of Communications, Timilehin Ayodele-Ozoya, emphasised the importance of accurate and efficient data collection.
She said, “The use of NIMC devices for enrollment, Kobo Collect for data collection, and the subsequent updating of household information will ensure that we capture the correct data and provide the necessary support to those who need it most.”
While stating that the President Tinubu administration is committed to supporting the most vulnerable members of society, Olotu urged them to take the training seriously, saying their role as Community-Based Targeting Team members and enumerators is crucial in ensuring the success of the initiative.
Meanwhile, the State Coordinator of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Magdalene Giweiohegbe, said their collaboration with NASSCO is to show how transparent the exercise is, as it will enable the government to ensure that assistance goes to the people who actually deserve it and is not duplicated at any point in time.
The participants were drawn from the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State.
