ACORN MANTRA PROJECT GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE as at October 2020.
Brief on MANTRA 1-year monitoring May/June 2019.
Objectives
The objectives of the MANTRA monitoring exercise(s) were designed in line with the terms of reference signed with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice. They are:
- Targeting payments to specified beneficiaries
- Reporting on grievances or feedback from beneficiaries
- Reporting on total of funds disbursed
- Reporting on the success of the funds reaching its intended beneficiaries
Sharing lessons learnt in respect to the foregoing
Overview of the MANTRA project approach
The MANTRA project assessed the disbursement of the $321.5 million Abacha loot disbursement in Nigeria’s cash transfer programmes starting at the onset of the disbursement in August 2018 with 11 States and the end of the first year of disbursement with 20 States. The MANTRA model utilized following methods in conducting the exercise
- Trace and verification of program data
- Beneficiary survey
- Capacity building of CSOs and citizens to monitor the recovery and utilisation of recovered assets in Nigeria
Trace and verification of data generated in the upstream and downstream sector of the programme
The monitoring process conducted verification of the processes and data generated in the upstream (CBN, NCTO, Payment Service Providers) and downstream (State, L.G.A and community cash transfer offices) sectors of the programme. Over 120 key informants have been interviewed during this exercise at Federal level and in 20 states including the FCT
Beneficiary survey
73, 998 beneficiaries (comprising, approximately 21% of the 350,515 beneficiaries as at, July 2019) in 97 L.G.A and over 3000 communities have been reached so far by the monitoring team to assess their experience in the programme
Capacity building of CSO and citizens to monitor the recovery and utilisation of recovered assets in Nigeria
MANTRA has strengthened a network of 118 civil society partners and 700 citizens on monitoring asset recovery across the country. These groups had not been involved in asset recovery prior to monitoring before the project.
Summary 0f Findings
Findings on Objective 1: Targeting payments to specified beneficiaries
The monitoring exercise reviewed the targeting[1] process to ensure the right beneficiaries are enrolled in the programme. Findings are below:
- The monitoring of the targeting process at the onset of disbursement (August 2018) revealed that NASSCO is responsible for targeting the poor and vulnerable in the programme which is compiled in the National Social Register (NSR)[2]
- NASSCO was able to demonstrate processes in place to preserve the integrity of the NSR at the onset of disbursement (August 2018)5
- The National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) was able to demonstrate its MIS team routinely mines data for the NBR and matches the payment schedule and paid beneficiaries with the NSR[3]. The request is made via email and a report is generated. The actual matching however occurs at NASSCO’s office
- The survey revealed that a majority of the beneficiaries believe they were identified for enrollment by their community leaders, L.G.A chairman, and religious leaders. Findings varied across locations. However by the end of the first year, majority of respondent in all states identified community leaders’ as the source of their enrollment into thee programme1
Findings on objective 2: Reporting on grievances or feedback from beneficiaries
ANEEJ and her implementing partners have collated data on beneficiary grievances in six monitoring exercises in the 1 year period. Findings are below:
- There were less respondents with complaints at the end of the first year
- The most common type of complaints reported is seen in the table bellow
- Proportion of respondents who had registered a complaint: Less than half i.e. 798 persons, representing 43.35% of the total complainants at the second monitoring registered their complaints while 697 persons or 37.86% did not register their complaints
- Feedback on registered complaints: The results of the feedback received by the 798 persons that registered their complaint, suggest a poor feedback mechanism in the NCTP: Majority of respondents who registered complaints did not get their complaints resolved 77.95% and about 65% of the respondents did not get feedback from their registered complaint.
[1] Targeting in cash transfer programmes describes the process of beneficiary selection
[2] Tackling poverty with recovered assets ANEEJ 2018
[3] Report on matching of NBR payment schedule and paid beneficiaries from NCTO with the NSR , type paid beneficiaries 2019 date 27th January 2020, type May-June 2019 supplement payment schedule date 27th January 2020
Brief on ANEEJ MANTRA monitoring in May/June, 2019
The conditional Cash Transfer of the Federal Government Social Investment Programme disbursed N1,794,200,000 for the month of May and June, 2019 to beneficiaries in 20 states of the federation. ANEEJ first phase of monitoring covered 11 states and 20 states for the second phase with 1200 monitors deployed on field, 120 supervisors and 110 CSO engaged.
Click link below to get more details:
/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET%204.pdf
Brief on ANEEJ MANTRA monitoring in August/September, 2018
The Conditional Cash Transfer of the Federal Government Social Investment Programme disbursed N2,277,870,000.00 for the month of August and September, 2018 from the $322.5M of the Abacha loot received from Swiss Government to beneficiaries. 80% of the total amount disbursed (N1,822,296,000) was from the Abacha Loot while 20% from FG.
While for October-November 2018, the Cash Transfer Office disbursed 3,814,695,000.00 to beneficiaries. 80% of the Abacha Loot (N3,051,756,000) was disbursed as well, this summed up the two rounds of payment to a total of N4,874,052,000. ANEEJ-MANTRA is yet to carry out monitoring exercise for the October/November round of payment to beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme.
