Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed that the Federal Government has done a lot on conditional transfers, especially within the context of social investment policies since coronavirus broke out in the country.
He said that the government is now looking at how to possibly enlarge the scope of social investment and do more for its citizens.
Osinbajo said this at a virtual conference entitled “How Africa’s Informal Sector Reacts to COVID-19”, organized by Africa.com on Wednesday in Abuja.
A statement by Osinbajo’s aide, Laolu Akande, said the Vice President emphasized that providing support for small businesses in the informal sector should be a priority for all economies aiming at lessening any adverse effect of the pandemic on the economy.
He said: “We have done a lot on conditional transfers, especially within the context of our social investment policies, but we are now looking at how to possibly enlarge the scope of that and do more.
“We are looking beyond using cash transfers as if it were some incentive for staying at home.
“Aside from the lockdown, just the disruption in the economy has meant that the daily paid worker simply has no means of working and many laid off.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday announced the confirmation of 196 new cases of COVID-19.