“The target is 500,000 employees and we still have some numbers to make up across the federation. The 311,000 employees that have benefited from the fund represent about 65 per cent target. The survival fund is a five-component programme, which the payroll support fund is one aspect of it,” he said.
“The portal is currently open for registration, and there are other schemes such as the guaranteed off-take scheme, business name registration. And based on the feedback that we have been getting from the beneficiary engagement events, the project delivery team is looking into ways that we can provide some added-on benefits even if it is not cash to support businesses going forward,” he said.
A beneficiary in the manufacturing sector, Nwodo Uchechukwu, said during the pandemic, many companies could not pay staff salaries, adding that the fund came in as succor during the yuletide.
“Our staff came back from the Christmas break very happy because the company put efforts to register for the survival fund,” he said.
Describing the application process, she said applying for the fund was seamless as long as applicants provide the necessary documents and meet the requirements.
A school principal, Mr. Nicholas Emi-Johnson, expressed gratitude to the federal government for the survival fund established to cushion the effects of the pandemic.