By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Government has concluded plans to present 20,000 vulnerable households, comprising of small business owners, artisans in the state with the Federal Government’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Cash Transfer.
Director, Lagos State Operations Coordinating Unit, LASOCU, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs. Oluwakemi Adedeji, who disclosed this on Tuesday, explained that the initiative is being sponsored by the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as well as Lagos State Government in collaboration with World Bank.
Adedeji stresed that the sole aim of the programme is to come up with a COVID-19 Rapid Response Register that will enrol small business owners and artisans whose businesses have been badly affected by COVID-19 pandenmic in Lagos State, through the use of satellite technology of sending text messages to their mobile phones, slated to take place between May 30 to June 5, 2021.
According to the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office, NASSCO, the initiative will be starting with seven wards, 181 communities in four local government areas.
The list of the benefitting areas include: Irewe and Tafi in Ojo Local Government, Ikoga, Ajido and Iya Afin in Badagry and Abomiti and Ijede in both Epe and Ikorodu Local Government, respectively.

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Residents were therefore, urged to register by responding to the text message that will be sent to their phones or contact their Community Development Association, CDA, in selected wards.
Adedeji further reteirated that, the selection will be based on scientific method of Satellite Remote Sensing Technology, Machine Learning, Algorithm and Big Data Analysis, which provided the basis for ranking the wards according to poverty index and availability of resources.
She explained that enumerators would meet applicants at their residents to take further information such as: National Identification Numbers, NIN, and bank account details.
Adedeji added that those registered would receive cash transfer credited directly to their accounts.