On Thursday, the Federal Government announced that 1,940,004 vulnerable Nigerians are currently receiving N5,000 cash gifts each month.
Sadiya Umar Farouq, a Nigerian politician and the current Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, stated this at the Senate Committee on Social Duties’ One-Day Stakeholders’ Retreat On National Social Investment (Establishment) Bill.
Dr Nasir Gwarzo, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, represented Farouq at the event.
The minister explained that the National Social Investment Programme Establishment Bill’s goal was to provide a statutory and institutional framework for the National Social Investment Programme’s implementation.
She stated that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), established the NSIP in 2016 to address social and economic inequalities and alleviate poverty among Nigerians.
According to her, four social support programs are intended to empower Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens in order for them to achieve an acceptable standard of living.
“Since the inception of the NSIP in 2015, one million youths have been empowered through the N-Power Programme, and another 500,000 are currently undergoing various forms of training under the program as approved by the President,” she said.
“The cash transfer has enrolled 1,975,381 poor and vulnerable households from the National Social Register into a National Beneficiary Register. The NBR alone has 9, 841, 700 household individuals in the 36 states of the federation.
“The Cash Transfer supports the poor and vulnerable to improve consumption and develop savings skills to reduce the poverty line and build their resilience to withstand shocks.
“A total of 1, 940, 004 beneficiaries are currently receiving cash transfers each month. Public Primary Schools across the country have witnessed an unprecedented number of new enrollment as a result of the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme.
Currently, the program feeds 10 million students in over 66, 000 public schools across Nigeria. The program is gradually reducing the number of out-of-school children across the country.”
Furthermore, the minister stated that 2,653,333 beneficiaries had obtained GEEP loans in three categories: Trader Moni, Market Moni, and Farmer Moni.
“A total of 1,142, 783 individuals have registered across the country to benefit from the second round of GEEP under the three loan programs,” she added.
Senator Yusuf Yusuf, Chairman of the Senate panel, explained that the retreat was intended to bring together key stakeholders from the executive branch of government in order to align with the legislature on the proposed legislation.
“Information is a very important tool for legislation. Since the government policies emanate from legislation, we invited critical stakeholders from the ministry and other agencies so that they can furnish the committee with vital information that would enable them to come up with robust legislation for the NSIP establishment,” he said.
