Just In: FG opens online portal for Nigerians to access N75billion survival fund

As the portal for the registration of prospective beneficiaries for the survival fund opens on Monday, September 21, the federal government has released the schedule for categories of businesses.

A statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, September 20 by the Project Delivery Office stated that the portal which opens at 10 pm, will have educational institutions as the first category of beneficiaries to register.

The Survival Fund initiative is one of the ways in which the Buhari's administration is helping Nigerians post COVID-19.

“Nigerians interested in the Payroll Support scheme are to note that the site for registration will be open from 10 pm Monday, September 21, 2020.

“In order to ensure a seamless registration process, the Project Delivery Office (PDO) has designed a registration schedule.

“Registration for Payroll Support will start with educational institutions on Monday and will be followed with businesses in the hospitality industry on Friday, September 25 beginning from 12 A.M.

“The portal will also be open to other categories of small businesses from 12 A.M., on Monday, September 28, 2020,” the statement said.

The office therefore advised those interested in benefiting from the fund to take note of the schedule and also log on to www.survivalfund.ng to register for the payroll support initiative.

The federal government had on Thursday, September 10 flagged-off two schemes to cushion the effects of COVID-19 and save over 100,000 small businesses in the country.

Minister of state, industry, trade and investment Ambassador Mariam Katagum, flagged-off the schemes after briefing journalists in Abuja. According to her, over 1.7 million Nigerians will be positively impacted by the schemes.

The two schemes: National Survival Fund and the Guaranteed Off-take Stimulus Schemes are under the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP) of the Buhari administration.

According to the minister, part of the terms of reference of the NESP included the support of small businesses and the creation of jobs, hence the flag-off of the schemes.

Recall that the federal government had on Monday, September 7, announced plans to launch the schemes.

This was disclosed in President Muhammadu Buhari's opening speech delivered by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the first year ministerial performance review retreat, at the State House.