The federal government on Monday said it had commenced cash transfer to poorest households in the country to ameliorate the social and economic effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Farouk, disclosed this at a press briefing by the presidential task force on the disease in Abuja.

Nigeria has recorded 131 coronavirus cases spread across 10 states and the federal capital territory.

The country also recorded its second death from the disease on Monday.

Farouk said the ministry has commenced advance payment of conditional cash transfer to the poorest households in the country.

She said the vulnerable group will also be expanded to consider more persons during the infection period.

“In Mr. President’s speech, paragraph 54, he directed that the conditional cash transfer should be given in advance of two months. This we have also done. We have directed immediate cash transfer to the poorest and most vulnerable households in the country,” she said.

“Because of this COVID-19, the vulnerable groups have to expanded, because we are aware that there are people who live on daily wage, so we are also going to look at those groups of people to see how we can get this food relief intervention to them in this period.”

The minister said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed trucks of relief materials to states affected by the coronavirus pandemic.