SPWP Will Boost Economy, As 413,630 Beneficiaries Receive N24.8bn

The Minister of State for Labour Festus Keyamo has said that the Special Public Works Programme (SPWP) would boost the economy.

Keyamo said this in Abuja on Thursday at a briefing convened by the Presidential Communication Team.

He argued that the scheme – one of the various initiatives created by the incumbent administration to tackle the high level of unemployment in the country – would put funds in the hands of beneficiaries and would benefit the economy, boosting it from the “very bottom”.

He disclosed that a total of 413,630 participants, out of the 774,000 target, have benefited from the programme, representing 60 percent.

He said, “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.

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“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.”

The minister said that the government would have attained some success in the programme even if it fell short of hitting the goal of 774,000 beneficiaries.

“In a large programme like this, we may not achieve the 774,000 to the last number but for me, if we are able to achieve and pay up to 600,000 persons, we would have achieved a lot.

“The remaining balance we would return to government’s coffers if we cannot have real people who will come and be entitled to that.

“I mean real people with real identity and correct Bank Verification Number (BVN) so that we will not resort to paying ghosts, we will return the balance.”