The Nigeria Governors Forum(NGF), has asked the minister of communication, Isa Pantami, to provide it with data to help identify ‘vulnerable’ persons across the country.
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, the NGF chairman, said this at the end of the Forum’s fourth COVID-19 teleconferencing.
The details of the meeting were made available via a copy of the communique on Thursday.
“The Forum received update from the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, on the response of his ministry to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Including support to State Governments to help them identify vulnerable persons through a data mining study coordinated by the Nigerian Communications Commission with the support of telecommunications providers in the country.”
Lingering controversies
Recently, there have been controversies on how the federal government through the National Social Investment Programmes was able to identify the vulnerable members of the population benefiting from the palliatives.
President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered a 14-day lockdown in Abuja and Lagos, as well as Ogun State due to its proximity to Lagos. Mr Buhari said the most vulnerable people affected by the lockdown would be assisted.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs subsequently announced the distribution of the first tranche of N5 billion.
But the leadership of the National Assembly on Tuesday criticised the approach adopted in the distribution social grants to the vulnerable Nigerians who suffer the impact of the coronavirus lockdown.
