FG Rolls Out Poverty Eradication Programme In Jigawa

By Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse

The federal government through Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development has flagged off a fresh poverty eradication programme aimed at elevating over one million Nigerians out of poverty.

Tagged: Government Enterprises Empowerment Programme, (GEEP), the programme is a component of the National Social Investment Programme, (N-SIP)

Speaking at the official flagg off of the programme held in Dutse, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Faruk , said the second phase is aimed at consolidating the success recorded in the first phase of the programme.

The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry Dr Nasir Sani Gwarzo recalled that when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the mantle of power in 2015, over 70 percent of Nigerians were living below poverty level.

The minister noted that, out of concern and determination to change the negative narration , the president established National Social Intervention Program (N-SIP) under which series of empowerment and intervention programs were initiated and implemented to tackle the challenges.

“Today there are many success stories, It is evidently clear the impact of the first phase as it has elevated millions of Nigerians from abject poverty while many have become employers of labour “

“The programme has translated to jobs/wealth creation and poverty reduction which are the ultimate goals of the programme, in deed we have achieved the desire goals” She declared

The minister added that, the targeted beneficiaries in the second phase would receive N50,000 each to enhance their small scale businesses.

According to her Jigawa state is among top four states with higher number of prospective beneficiaries of Government Entrepreneur Empowerment Program (GEEP) as over 6,000 beneficiaries have already accredited in the state.

She then charged the beneficiaries, to be determine and self discipline in utilizing the loan for achieving the desire goals.

The Technical Assistant to the Minister on GEEP, Mrs. Zainab Musa advised the beneficiaries to endeavour to repay the loan so that other set of people could benefit from the programme, adding that failure to repay the loan in good time could serious setback in the further implementation of the programme.

Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar lauded the ministry for it’s numerous poverty eradication programmes, especially as regards Jigawa, noting that the latest initiative had the capacity to impact positively on thousands of beneficiaries across the state.

Represented by the Head of Civil Service of the state, Hussaini Ali Kila, the governor expressed confidence that the beneficiaries would repay the loan in record time, so as to enable other set of beneficiaries to enroll in the programme in no distance future.

Some beneficiaries of the programme