Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk says over 12 million households have benefitted from the nation’s National Social Investment Program, NSIP. This she disclosed during the flagging-off of the disbursement of N20,000 cash grants for rural women project for 8,000 rural women in Kano State.
The minister was represented by her Permanent Secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali.
According to the Minister, “One million indigents benefitted N5,000 under Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and under the Government Enterprise Enhancement Programme, 1,092,405 Micro and Small Business owners accessed loans to boost productivity, increase income and reduce poverty.
“A total of 125,000 women are to benefit from the N20,000 Cash Grant for Rural Women Project across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory and Under the N-Power programme 500,000 unemployed youths were provided temporary income-generating opportunities while 8,612,457 primary 1 – 3 pupils in public schools are receiving 1 meal per day under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.”
“Since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2015, the Federal government has paid more attention to addressing the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country despite the economic slump and revenue challenges. This informed the decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP as a strategy for enhancing social inclusion. The NSIP is adjudged as the largest social protection programme in Africa with over $1billion earmarked annually to cause positive changes in the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country.
“Since its introduction in 2016, the programme has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria. Over 12 million households have benefitted from NSIP interventions in the last five years,” Sadiya stated.
How Effective
These claims however amount to a drop in the ocean in a country with a current estimate of over 200 million people as at 2020. Again the quoted data is open to critique given the known fact that many of the government’s policies are usually hijacked along the chain of command and the efforts of the government at reaching those at the bottom of the social ladder are more often than not sabotaged by elements within its own system.
