Include Varsity Students In Cash Transfer Programme, NANS Urges FG

 

The National Association of Nigerian Students has urged the Federal Government to add indigent students of tertiary institutions on its Conditional Cash Transfer programme.

NANS President, Sunday Asefon, made this known in a New Year statement issued on Saturday and made available to The PUNCH.

Asefon also said NANS would launch an e-platform for Nigerian students to report cases of sexual harassment, intimidation, wrongful suspension or expulsion, amongst others in 2021.

He said:-

“Another great issue of importance to us in 2021 shall be advocacy to have indigent tertiary institution students on the Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer programme. This, we believe, will go a long way in assisting the active demography of our population. This also must be seen as an investment in the future.

“The students have been marginalised in the various programmes of government towards combating the harsh economic realities but we believe that students can also be considered in all these intervention programmes without altering the budgets.

“Since this intervention will be aimed at indigent students and carried out with the assistance of tertiary institution managements, it will be easy to manage.”

The PUNCH had earlier reported that during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, toured most states to flag-off the conditional cash transfer of N20,000 to the poor and vulnerable.

The National Cash Transfer Programme, which commenced in 2016, is one of the four social investment programmes of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Beneficiaries of the programme are mined from the National Social Register comprising State Social Registers of poor and vulnerable households.