President Mhammadu Buhari has directed that the current social register be expanded from 2.6 million households to 3.6 million households in the next two weeks.

This is following the announcement of lockdown extension for additional two weeks by the president.

According to Buhari in a nationwide broadcast on Monday, “This means we will support an additional one million homes with our social investment programs. A technical committee is working on this and will submit a report to me by the end of this week”.

“No country can afford the full impact of a sustained restriction of movement on its economy. I am fully aware of the great difficulties experienced especially by those who earn a daily wage such as traders, day-workers, artisans and manual workers”.

“For this group, their sustenance depends on their ability to go out. Their livelihoods depend on them mingling with others and about seeking work. But despite these realities we must not change the restrictions”.

“In the past two weeks, we announced palliative measures such as food distribution, cash transfers and loans repayment waivers to ease the pains of our restrictive policies during this difficult time. These palliatives will be sustained”.

“I have also directed that the current social register be expanded from 2.6 million households to 3.6 million households in the next two weeks. This means we will support an additional one million homes with our social investment programs. A technical committee is working on this and will submit a report to me by the end of this week”, Buhari said.