....Targets PWDs, Others Across 21 LGAs

By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu

The federal government of Nigeria, says it will from next week, commence registration for the second wave of Rapid Response Register (RRR), a programme designed to provide emergency assistance to urban and semi-urban dwellers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Anambra State .

The Anambra State Coordinator, State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU), Engr. Bede Okoli, who disclosed this at Awka during the stakeholders sensitisation forum on the second waves of RRR, added that the programme was targeted at poor homes, destitute and people living with disabilities (PWDs) across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State.

Okoli, who advised those who lost jobs or faced other economic challenges due to COVID-19 to enroll by dialing specific codes allocated to their residential areas on their phones and follow the instructions.

He said, 'To get registered, dial your community codes as contained in the fliers we are distributing. You will be directed accordingly. At the end of successful registration, you will be given a unique number. Please, keep the number for future use,' he stated.

Continuing, he said "The Rapid Response Register is a shock response intervention by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in partnership with the World Bank. It's being built by the National Social Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) through state governments as an expansion of the existing National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP).

'It is designed to provide emergency assistance to urbans and semi-urban dwellers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The register will also be used to deliver emergency response to vulnerable populations in circumstances like natural disasters, epidemics and economic downturn.

'Those eligible are low income earners involved in the informal sector, lower level private sector employees that lost their jobs because of the pandemic, and urban poor, destitute and persons with disabilities.

'Targetting and enrollment of affected households will be done through text messages that allow residents of selected wards and communities apply to be assisted by texting or calling a designated USSD code. Mobile phone numbers of those demeed eligible for assistance will be linked to digitized bank accounts to receive cash support and other financial inclusion packages under the federal government's COVID-19 assistance programme,' he concluded.