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  • Reps wants resumption of suspended Social Investment Programme

    Reps wants resumption of suspended Social Investment Programme

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 13, asked the federal government to expedite the completion of the investigation of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and resume the suspended implementation of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

    The House also asked the government to instigate further actions in the meantime and direct a serving Minister of State to oversee relevant approvals and implementation of the National Social Investment Programme to minimize the adverse implication of increasing hunger and suffering experienced by vulnerable Nigerians relying on the programme.

    Adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Billy Adesuwa Osawaru (APC, Edo), the House wants the government to place on hold the alleged idea of establishing a new steering committee under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance to oversee the social investment programmes.

    The House said such an idea contravenes the extant law which positions the implementing agency and programmes under the purview of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

    In his motion, Osawaru said the enabling Act of the National Social Investment Programme Agency was enacted in 2023 to address the issue of poverty and hunger across the country as well as to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources to vulnerable populations including children, youth and women.

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    He said since January this year, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was suspended and placed under investigation while the Chief Executive Officer and National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency were sacked and the new Chief Executive Officer and National Coordinator replaced.

    He said further that as a result of this, the implementation of all forms of government intervention such as N- Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Home Grown School Feeding Programme are expected to ameliorate the suffering of people, was placed on hold, pending thorough review of the programme and investigation of the alleged misconduct in the management of the programme.

    He said halting the implementation of the programme during this period of increasing hardship has the implication of heightening the challenges of the vulnerable population relying on its assistance and could lead to a rise in poverty levels, and social unrest and ultimately impact negatively on the overall stability and development of the country.

    He stressed that the recent cases of looting of warehouses and food trucks in many cities across the country as a result of increasing hunger and suffering, which signals the need for immediate action to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians such as the resumption of all forms of Social Investment Programme.

    According to him, the interim report of the 6-man probe panel appointed by Mr. President to investigate the allegations surrounding the embattled Minister has recommended the resumption of the programme.

    He however expressed concern about the alleged recommendation suggesting that a new steering committee under the leadership of the Minister of Finance should henceforth oversee the social investment programmes.

    He said the recommendation is not only an anomaly but contravenes the extant law which situates the implementing agency and programmes under the purview of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

    He said while there may be legislative actions to amend the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2023, up until the Act is completely amended, and enacted, the current status quo cannot be reviewed by mere executive action.

  • Social investment programme: ExxonMobile’s panacea to youth restiveness

    Youth restiveness in the oil-rich Niger Delta is, arguably, as old as when crude oil was discovered in Oloibiri in present-day Bayelsa State. Till date, pockets of it still resurface from time to time.

    Discontents and grievances resulting from unmet expectations coupled with ecological and environmental damage done to oil-bearing communities by multinational oil companies have contributed to the heightening tension and frictions among host communities and the OICs.

    When these grey problems are not expeditiously addressed, irate youths have had to resort to brute force to subdue OICs to address some of their grievances. These usually manifest in the forms of kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, destruction of oil facilities and general atmosphere of insecurity.

    Such manifestations of restiveness and mutual suspicion also exist in oil-producing communities of Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket and Onna in Akwa Ibom State where ExxonMobil prospects for crude oil offshore.

    Youths, women and other stakeholders in these communities have also engaged in some forms of disagreement with the oil giant over certain issues such as oil spillage, environmental pollution; lack of job opportunities for their youths and contracts for those indigenous to the host communities.

    In its bid to genuinely address the plethora of demands, grievances and complaints from these communities, ExxonMobil have devised means to carry them along through its corporate social responsibility (CRS) programmes.

    In line with its CSR policy, ExxonMobil recently attempted to change the narrative by initiating the social investment programme which is community-based and driven by the youth in the four neighbouring communities of Ibeno, Eket, Es

    ExxonMobil operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) joint venture, through its subsidiary, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), is pursuing peace and harmony with its neighbouring communities through what it called Community Investment Programme (CIP).

    The CIP has five pseudo-components of Community Safety Awareness Campaign, Clean and Green Environment, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Market Beautification and a Beach Party.

    Speaking at the launch of the CIP recently  in Eket, the General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Nigel Cokey-Gam said the programme is intended to foster mutual peace, enhance the welfare of people of the community as well as strengthen the cordial relationship between MPN and its neighbouring communities.

    According to Nigel, CIP was just one of the three joint venture contributions to the development of its neighbouring communities and the empowerment of the people.

    His words: “Total investment by the JV in this round of community programmes in Akwa Ibom State is N170 million and is one of JV’s several initiatives dedicated to positively engage our youths, re-orientate and re-inculcate virtues other than the adoption of confrontation as the only mode of engagement.”

    He added: “The JV is here for the long haul and is repositioning to deliver greater value to the communities, Akwa Ibom State, and Nigeria.”

    On his part, the General Manager, Joint Venture Operations, Tom Benjaminsen sued for peace as a basic tonic required for MPN to sustained contribution and value additions.

    Declaring the programme open, the Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel , who was represented by the Commissioner for Transport and Petroleum Resources, Mr. Orman Esin commended Mobil Producing Nigeria for the initiative. He acknowledged the company’s contributions to the development of the state, even as he called for sustainability of the programme.

    The community investment programme is not just community-driven; it is facilitated by indigenous non-governmental organisation and sponsored by Mobil Producing Nigeria.

    No doubt, ExxonMobil has given 100 per cent of the programme to the local content. Each community leadership is the one ensuring that the project is done. For instance, resource persons are from the community and those who coordinate the NGOs are from the community.

    This informs the tremendous success which the programme has recorded.

    The Coordinator, Mrs. Emem Nkereuwem of Arts and Skills Development Initiative, the NGO facilitating the components that comprises road safety awareness campaigns and clean green environment project, observed that it was instructive for Mobil to lead the trail on safety, clean and green environment which has been the tradition within their enclave, and still takes up the inculcation of this tradition within their neighbouring communities. It shows, she said, a new approach towards community relations.

    This, to a large extent, will make the people embrace the company’s attitude of safety and clean environment. A lot is happening with our climate, and this has led to the unpredictability of weather conditions in recent years. As ExxonMobil leads the communities on green environment, the company has shown its willingness to work with the communities for a greener environment.

    Environmental neglect poses an unreasonable risk to the physical health and safety of humankind. As the campaign is sustained, malaria, which is one of the highest causes of death in the communities, will be eliminated. This will gradually take us to the earth which God saw and called “good”.

    According to Nkereuwem an estimated 202 million malaria cases happen in Nigeria out which 440,000 deaths are recorded annually. He added that the figure could be higher. It is therefore imperative that we make our environment clean and green for a free and harmonious habitation.

    While on the streets on community safety, she advocated for the promulgation of law against alcohol and other negative substances at car parks.

    The resource person for safety awareness campaign component, Mr. Godwin William who is President-General of Afigh Iwaad I Ekid, a socio-cultural group for the Eket people, compartmentalised his lecture into home safety, personal safety, safe driving and ending with tips for night driving.

    The engagement of these two components was deep, interactive and enlightening as youths from the four neighbouring communities of Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket and Onna were present to listen, clean and move in a carnival motorcade to engage the people.

    “This is the first time Mobil Producing Nigeria is coming down to the ordinary people, and it is very encouraging. It is a new beginning for the company and the people for a better relationship that will entrench peace and a win-win bargain for all stakeholders,” Mr. Samuel Akpan the Chairman of Ibeno Youth Council said.

    Youth President in Eket, Mr. Charles Edohoeket said the various components of the community investment programme have not only integrated the company as a worthy ally in development but has also succeeded in integrating us as members of this community.

    “We now know one another’s capability in organising events. Some of us have been recognised because our capability has been showcased. And we are grateful to Mobil for its contributions to the growth of our communities,” he said.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    At the presentation of market items under the market beautification/provision components, the facilitating consultant on market beautification and beach party, Mr. Joseph Utin, said a total of 500 tables, 500 chairs and 500 tarpaulins have been presented to traders in selected markets in the four local government areas. The market items are to support the trade of the beneficiaries and empower them in some ways to keep their trade going.

    “It is not safe and healthy to have that old woman selling garri in Udua Nka stand on her feet all day long. It is not safe and healthy to let the woman selling fish in Mkpanak Market to be under the sun all day.

    “As a responsible corporate entity that feels the pains of its communities, MPN’s donation of market tables, chairs and tarpaulins will go a long way in solving problems faced by entrepreneurs,” he said.

    Features of the beach party included variety of games, indigenous cultural displays by the local aficionados, tug of war among management and representatives of the neighbouring communities. Music stars such as Harrysong and Okon Lagos were present.

    Communities at the beach party will never forget the fun, laughter, dance, cultural displays and the close contacts with stars they usually see on television.

    Asuquo Bassey, an old man that found his way to the beach from Onna said though he couldn’t participate in many of the activities, seeing people laugh and enjoy themselves has given him reasons to live long.

    Under the corporate social responsibility pyramid, ExxonMobil, through Community Investment Programme has demonstrated that it is a good corporate citizen.

    Their philanthropic responsibility was outstanding as resources were channeled directly to the communities to improve the quality of life of the people.

    Youth leaders in Onna Samuel Umoafia and Etiene Bob said: “This is a new dawn for Mobil in Akwa Ibom State. It is an unexpected development, a clear departure from what used to be. No community in the state is against them. We are civilised people and wish to engage under justice and fairness. We thank them for this and plead it becomes a yearly event”.

  • TraderMoni loans not for election, says Presidency

    CRITICS of TraderMoni  – a social investment programme  of  the Federal Government – got a reply yesterday to their claim that the scheme was introduced to buy votes during the general elections.

    They were told that more than 30,000 traders have received loans after the polls on March 9.

    The Presidency explained that the TraderMoni scheme and other GEEP micro-credit products (MarketMoni  and FarmerMoni), as components of the Buhari administration’s Social Investment Programme, are still in operation.

    The explanation came through a statement by Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President (Office of the Vice President) said the loans were never conceived for the purpose of election.

    According to a progress report on the GEEP micro-credit products (TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni), he disclosed that over 30,000 beneficiaries per state have been captured under the programme.

    He said: “So far, a target of 30,000 minimum beneficiaries per state has been achieved in majority of the 36 states and FCT since after the national and state polls.

    “What the implementing agency has been doing since the last phase of disbursements is generating the balance of program funding while ramping up on the states with shortages.

    “Consequently, disbursements have continued to happen in the states; for instance, we have had over 28,000 disbursements across 10 states since after the elections. Our priority is ramping up these numbers in the balance of states before we move to Phase II of the programme after detailed reviews and structural enhancements for larger scale. Under the Next Level agenda, Trader Moni loans will target ten million petty traders, a significant ramp up from the initial target of two million beneficiaries.”

    On the role of the Ministry for Industry, Trade and Investment in the implementation of the scheme, he said: “It is actively involved in the project.”

    Akande said: “That ministry is, in fact the oversighting Ministry of Bank of Industry, which is the deploying agency. The office of the Minister executes the GEEP program via the Bank of Industry.

    “The governance structure of GEEP includes the office of the Vice President (National Social Investment Office), The Ministry of Trade and Investment, and the Bank of Industry.”

    Speaking on measures adopted to enhance repayments, the presidential media aide said GEEP has pioneered innovative solutions to drive repayment compliance.

    Read also: Trader Moni to reach 10m petty traders

    He said: “Working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), we successfully piloted the concept of the BVN as digital collateral; and we saw repayment go up significantly on the MarketMoni and FarmerMoniloans.

    “For TraderMoni, beneficiaries can pay back at any commercial bank in the country just like a NEPA or WAEC bill; all they need to provide the bank teller with is their phone number. We also developed and successfully piloted scratch cards as a repayment option for beneficiaries who stay kilometres away from the nearest banks in their community. The cards are loaded the same way Telco recharge cards are loaded, thus requiring no new learning curve.

    “This improved repayment received compliance to the extent that in January, the Bank of Industry began second level disbursements – disbursements of N15,000 – to beneficiaries in Lagos, Borno, Ogun and Oyo states for trader who had successfully paid back their first N10,000 loans.”

    According to him, “GEEP’s vision (in the long term) remains to empower the over 30 million MSMEs in Nigeria with interest-free, collateral-free loans.”

  • ‘Vote APC candidates in Edo to sustain social investment programmes’

    As the 2019 general elections draw close, candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to represent Edo State in the National Assembly have urged residents in the state to vote for the APC in the forthcoming general elections, to sustain the Federal Government’s social investment programmes.

    The social investment programmes being implemented by the APC-led Federal Government under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) include the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), N-Power, the Marketmoni and Tradermoni loans for small scale traders, Conditional Cash Transfer, among others.

    The candidates of the APC in the state are Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, who is contesting for the Edo South senatorial seat; Hon. John Inegbedion, Edo Central senatorial seat; Hon. Osaigbovo Iyoha for Oredo Federal Constituency seat at the House of Representatives; Dennis Idahosa for Ovia North East/ South West seat in the House of Representatives; Hon. Joseph Ikpea, Esan South East/ North East seat in the House of Representatives; Hon. Johnson Agbonayinma for Egor/Ikpoba Okha Federal Constituency seat, among others.

    Speaking to journalists during the launch of the NHGSFP by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in Edo State, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, said if elected, he will ensure the sustainability of the social investment programmes to benefit more people in the state.

    He noted that social investment programmes are laudable initiatives through which a good number of caterers have been engaged to feed school children.

    The APC candidate for Edo Central Senatorial seat, Hon. John Inegbedion, said the social investment programme has a reverberating effect on food value chain in the state, as the NHGSFP has provided employment and guaranteed means of livelihood for farmers, traders, caterers and suppliers of food to schools, adding that if elected, he will see to the extension of the programme to more schools in Edo Central.

    On his part, Hon. Osaigbovo Iyoha, APC House of Representatives candidate for Oredo Federal Constituency, described the NSIP as a laudable initiative which if sustained, will create wealth for more people.

    “The sustainability of the social investment programme will spread the net to accommodate more beneficiaries. Now the NHGSFP has been launched for Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon Local Government Areas, if I am elected to represent Oredo at the House of Representatives, I will ensure that the programme receives a boost for the benefit of school children in Oredo Federal constituency, in addition to other components of the NSIP, which residents of Oredo are benefitting from,” he added.

    Hon. Dennis Idahosa, who is contesting for Ovia North East/South West Federal Constituency seat, said “We have seen how the Tradermoni N10,000 loan is benefitting thousands of petty traders in our markets, with the assurance that they can benefit more. What is required now is the sustainability of all these and other development-oriented programmes.  I promise my people that I will deepen these impactful programmes to reach everyone when elected to represent Ovia North East/South West Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives.”

     

  • Osinbajo launches school feeding programme in Edo

    …as FG feeds 9.3 million children

     

    Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has launched the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) in Edo State, to provide free meals for children in public schools in the state.

    During the launch of the programme at Eyaen Primary School in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the state, Osinbajo said the NHGSFP feeds 9.3 million children in 49,937 public primary schools in 27 states, including Edo State.

    Earlier, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who received Prof. Osinbajo at Western Boys High School in Benin City, thanked the Vice President for the visit, and commended him for the Social Investment Programme, which has added value to the lives of Nigerians.

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    In his speech, Osinbajo noted that the programme employs 94,422 cooks while over 100,000 small-holder farmers are linked to the programme.

    The Vice President said in feeding the children across the country, 594 cows are slaughtered, 138,000 chickens killed, and 83 million tonnes of fish used in preparing the meals.

    He said the NHGSFP is part of the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme which is one of the largest safety net programmes in Nigeria.

    According to him, “N-Power employs over 500,000 graduates and 200,000 non-graduates across the nation. Two million people benefit from our Micro Credit Scheme which includes Trader-moni and Market-moni. This will be expanded to the next level to enable more Nigerians benefit from it.  We will be able to reach five to 10 million Nigerians.”

    The Vice President said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has been able to achieve these because it has fought corruption to secure the country’s resources and develop the nation.

    Speaking on the impact of the Social Investment Programme, Obaseki said the programme has provided an opportunity for vulnerable families to feed and send their children to school.

    He explained that the NHGSFP would be linked to the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation programme to bring out the best in school children, and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and Prof Yemi Osinbajo for the initiative to feed children in schools.

    “This is a new dawn in Edo State that is ensuring that our children in schools across the state are not malnourished,” he added.

    The focal person of N-Power in Edo State, Ms. Osayuwamen Aladeshelu, said the NHGSFP has benefited thousands of Nigerians, who now include people in Edo State.

    “The programme is targeted at making children healthy. We are starting from Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon local government areas before spreading to other areas in the state.”

  • 2019 Budget: Recovery from recession fragile, says Saraki

    The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has described Nigeria’s recovery from economic as fragile, stressing that the fundamentals underlying the recovery remain weak, and if unchecked, can lead to dire consequences. 
     
    In a speech he delivered at the budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly on Wednesday, Saraki observed that the economy still runs on oil and very little progress has been made in terms of diversification. 
     
    He added that as a result, the expansionary budget policy in effect since 2016, which was aimed at raising spending and stimulating growth in the economy, was not matched by achievable revenue targets. 
     
    According to him, the corollary is higher and rising deficit as well as a considerable debt burden, all due to an unsustainable fiscal stance. 
    Saraki said, “Without doubt, the last three–and–a–half years have been eventful ones at the global level and in our domestic economy. From dips in oil prices to major shifts in the economic landscape, crude oil production shut-ins and security challenges, the economy and Nigerians have been directly impacted by these events. 
     
    “Many businesses closed down and many people lost their jobs during the recent recession. In the same period, we lost innocent citizens to insurgency in parts of the North East, thousands were displaced, and many lives also lost due to clashes between farmers and herders, in addition to the general hardship unleashed by unstable economic winds.
     
    “These are some of the security challenges we have faced. We must take them head-on; it is a battle we must win as a country. It must be admitted that we are not there presently. For one, these security challenges now pose a threat to the viability of the agricultural sector. 
     
    “This is clear in the marked reduction in agricultural output observable since the first quarter of 2018. There is the need for more efforts by all. We here are prepared to give all necessary support to the Executive. We stand ready and committed to assist in every way we can, in order to ensure food security and the protection of lives and property”.

    He bemoaned the under–performance of independent revenues, saying it is straining government’s ability to meet its expenditure, especially investments in critical infrastructure. 

    This, he said, further exposes government to higher deficit levels which have been largely financed by borrowing, stressing that there was urgent need to address the lapses.

    “To be clear, two scenarios will play out if we do not deal decisively with challenges to revenue. These would be to accommodate higher debt with higher repayment costs, which is not sustainable or to reduce the capital budget, which would mean a slow-down in government investment in critical infrastructure. This, again, does not aid growth or economy development.

    “Mr. President, it is for these reasons that the National Assembly required that the 2018 Budget proposal and future ones be accompanied by a Finance Bill, which would give credence to the financial proposals of government. 

    “It is one way of establishing credibility in projected revenues. It is imperative, therefore, that a 2019 Finance Bill is submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

    “I have always stressed the importance of setting realistic revenue targets, because we cannot afford to rely on borrowing to finance recurrent expenditure. It is critical we shift focus to generating as much money as required for spending, at least for recurrent needs, so loans can be used solely to fund capital projects”, Saraki added.

    The President of the Senate also deplored what he described as the huge cost deductions by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), saying the situation must be addressed without further delay.

    He stated that net oil inflow into the Federation Account is significantly lower than projected on account of these deductions by way of unappropriated petroleum subsidy. 

    Saraki advised that petroleum subsidy should be captured as a line item in the Budget if the government must continue to finance it, stressing that the government cannot shy away from the issue.

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    Continuing, he said, “The current system is opaque at best, fraught with inefficiencies and is a sure pathway to corruption. Estimated deductions for petroleum subsidy claims by NNPC year-to-date can neither be explained by the higher PMS landing cost nor the increased supply of petroleum to the domestic market. 

    “We can better manage these by returning to a more transparent practice of capturing the items as against the erroneous and illegal approach of cost recovery for payment for importation of petroleum products”.

    Saraki said the government cannot get things right if it cannot match budget credibility with predictability, adding that it’s in this regard that the National Assembly passed several constitution alteration bills, including Sections 82 and 122 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

    “The amendments to these sections are intended to engender timeliness in the formulation and approval of annual budgets as well as restore the country to a January to December fiscal year.

    “May I use this opportunity to request Mr. President to prioritize the assent of this important Bill. That way, delays in the submission and passage of the Budget will be a thing of the past. 

    “Also, the private sector, including local and foreign investors doing business in Nigeria, can plan their investment activities along predictable timelines.

    “Mr. President will recall that in response to the economic recession, the National Assembly enacted a batch of laws to assist the Executive mobilize investment across the country, in order to stimulate economic activities. 

    “These bills are the product of far reaching engagements with the Executive. It is instructive to note that two of these– the Secure Transactions in Movable Assets Bill and the Credit Reporting Bill – are credited with helping to improve our country’s position in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Ranking. 

    “Let me make clear that the National Assembly appreciates Your Excellency’s assent of some of these bills. This is tempered by the fact that some in this stack of priority bills, such as the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, National Transport Commission Bill and Federal Road Authority Bill, to mention a few, have not been signed into law, contrary to the expectations of many. 

    “We recognize the prerogative of the President to sign or not to sign these bills. However, we believe that some of the issues cited for withholding of assent may be better addressed through further technical engagements, since the bills are, in the main, aligned to government policy direction.

    “Certainly, we as the legislature are of the view that, unless we strengthen our laws to create the right structures that enable the private sector power the economy, we will not be able to create enough jobs and opportunity for our people to thrive and prosper. 

    “Through collaborative efforts and engagements with all stakeholders, we have passed bills designed to help government create jobs, open the entire market to private sector investment and modernise the economy”.

    Commending the President on the Social Investment Programme initiative of the administration, Saraki however noted that the current approach is unlikely to have a sustainable, measurable impact that is free of corruption and abuse. 

    He said, “You will agree with me that such a programme should carry no whiff of politicization. Our role as leaders must always be to ensure that we deliver governance results that do not discriminate; and which ensure that all Nigerians irrespective of ethnicity, religion and political stripe have access and are seen to be treated equally. 

    “The National Assembly is willing and ready to work with Your Excellency on the people-oriented programmes of your Administration, to ensure success. 

    “At this juncture, let me assure Mr. President that the National Assembly shall continue to work with your team to ensure that whatever is required through legislation and oversight to plug revenue leakages and ramp up revenues is given priority”

    Saraki commended the President and the Economic Management Team for putting together the fiscal policy document, which he said, is expected to give life to economic and social programmes that are pivotal to national development as the nation goes into a crucial year”.

  • Nigerians everywhere deserve healthy, productive lives — Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, says Nigerians everywhere deserve to live healthy, educated and productive lives regardless of where in Nigeria they reside, what God they worship or language they speak.

    Osinbajo said this on Friday in Abuja while addressing the extended National Economic Council (NEC) meeting with focus on Human Capital Development (HCD) held at the State House Banquet Hall.

    The theme of meeting was “Achieving Nigeria’s Visions for Human Capital Development.’’

    The vice president said that the Federal Government was fully committed to ensuring that it positively transformed the Nigerian experience as it related to the quality of life and well-being of its people.

    He said that Nigeria had struggled with high  levels of poverty for several decades in spite of its potential, as the last poverty study done by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2012 showed that 112 million Nigerians were living in extreme poverty.

    Osinbajo said that when the present government came into office in 2015, three things were very clear, one that it needed to move quickly and ambitiously in its response to the issues of poverty and malnutrition and disease and illiteracy.

    “Two, there would be no quick fixes or miracles cures as it would be a long and painful journey out of the status quo which required patience and consistence in the implementation of our interventions.

    “Three, just as we are reaping the consequences of the poor decisions we have taken in the past, we can change the consequences that await us in the future by changing the decisions we take in the present.

    “These realizations have guided us over the last three years, even as we have developed a vision for a Nigeria that is healthy, educated and positioned to fully unleash its development potential.

    “This is what informed the creation and implementation of our Social Investment Programme, which is now the largest in Africa.

    “A multi-faceted intervention simultaneously targeting poverty, hunger, unemployment, financial exclusion, and the absence of skills needed for our large youth population to thrive in the 21st century.

    “Nigerians everywhere deserve to live healthy, educated and productive lives, regardless of where in Nigeria they live or what God they worship or what language they speak.’’

    He said that the N-Power, Jobs Scheme for unemployed graduates had more than doubled since then to cater to 500,000 beneficiaries; while Trader-Moni Microcredit scheme for petty traders excluded from formal lending opportunities had benefited well over a million people.

    Read Also: Osinbajo to unveil Igbo Ancestry Museum in Anambra

    The vice president said there was also Market-Moni, designed to provide loans to market women and traders, artisans, enterprising youths and small scale farmers and agric workers nationwide.

    “In terms of healthcare, we have recorded a landmark accomplishment, the setting up of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, with seed funding of one per cent of our Consolidated Revenue Fund as outlined in the National Health Act.

    “I am pleased to say that Nigeria is for the first time complying with these stipulations since the Act was signed into law in 2014,’’ he said.

    In a presentation, Mr Yosola Akinbi, HCD Core Working Group (CWG) Coordinator, said that the HCD initiative was a response to Nigeria’s ranking as a country with low HCD.

    She said that the CWG selected six outcomes and several proxy measures to access and track progress across HCD thematic areas.

    Akinbi listed the areas as under-five mortality rate, malnutrition, adult mortality, expected years of school completion, quality of learning and labour force participation.

    She said that Nigeria’s vision to accelerate HCD by 2030 was in three strategic themes, health and nutrition, education and labour force.

    “Provide equitable access to affordable and quality healthcare for every Nigerian, promote a quality, inclusive and functional educational system and empower youth to have the capacity and skills to create or seek employment,’’ she said.

    In his remarks, Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, said that the governors had been working hard to ensure economic growth and promote transparency in governance.

    He said that finance was critical in addressing all the issues bordering on HCD.

    According to him, more efforts should be channeled toward revenue generation in order to achieve the vision of HCD.

    In goodwill message, Mr Rachid Benmessaoud, Country Director, World Bank Nigeria, said that for the world to do well, Nigeria had to do well.

    He said that the Federal Government’s Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (ERGP) was yielding results.

    Mrs Debbie Palmer, DFID Country Representative, in a goodwill message, said that given that Nigeria would be the third largest nation in the world by 2050, it needed well-nourished, healthy, educated and skilled people.

    Also speaking, Sen. Lanre Tejuosho, the chairman, Senate Committee on Health, urged the executive to ensure timely release of money appropriated by the National Assembly for HCD.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there were also goodwill messages from representatives of UNICEF,  Dangote Group, Belinda and Gates Foundation,and U.S. Mission among others.

    The extended NEC had in attendance state governors, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, private sector representatives and development partners.

    The highlight of the event was unveiling of the Vision to Accelerate Human Capital Development by 2030 by the vice president.

    NAN

  • Federal Govt spends N250b on social investment programme

    The Federal Government has spent N250 billion on the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) in the last three years, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Social Welfare Programme Maryam Uwais has said.

    She said the funds were meant to improve the living conditions of millions of Nigerians from its inception in 2016 till date.

    Mrs. Uwais spoke yesterday in Abuja during a visit by delegates from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on a study tour to learn and replicate the Social Safety Net programme in their country.

    She said  only 23.63 per cent of the entire three-year budgets appropriated for N-SIPS has been released out of N1.5trillion.

    She added that the programme has received only 18 per cent of the appropriated budget this year.

    Mrs Uwais said:  “In the last three years, we have heard thousands of testimonials of people’s lives being changed for the better. We have seen evident improvement in the lives of our beneficiaries as the testimonies.

    “Our poverty indices are very poor and we need to be more strategic and methodical about how we identify the poorest people in our communities.

    “We had to depart from the idea of collecting lists from different people and various levels of government in selecting who we will pay cash to.

    “We set up a tripartite method looking at the poverty mapping of each state. Selecting the poorest communities and local governments first, and then training our civil servants at state and local government level to be able to enumerate and engage with people at the community level.

    “Data capturing helps us to understand the dynamics and what the needs of our people are.

    “Part of the problem is that we don’t have data in the country. Data about the number of people living in an household, the number of women, children, what the age groups are, provision of water, provision of power (if any), assets they have, etc.

    “Once our enumerators capture the data on their devices, we have a Proxy Means Testing (PMT) formula that automatically ranks them from the poorest to the least poor.

    “In designing the social safety net, we work with the budget, labour market factors within the locality, and the living condition of the people; this determines the amount allocated beneficiaries of the programme.”

    She explained that the SIP has four components which include: The Home Grown School Feeding Programme, the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (which comprises the MarketMoni, the FarmerMoni and the TraderMoni), and the the N-Power programme.

    “In majority of these schemes, there are no third parties engaged to pay monies to beneficiaries. All monies are paid directly through their bank accounts, having been verified by their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) through a close collaboration with Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).

    “Where there are challenges to payments as in the remote areas where there is no banking infrastructure, our beneficiaries are paid by agents in their locations. The agents have been selected in an open and transparent process.

    “The Nigerian Social Safety Net intervention is anchored on the development of the Social Register. This strategy of anchoring interventions from the Social Register and not from multi beneficiary registers has generated interest in other countries within the social protection space,” she added.

    Chief of Staff for the Ministry of Social Inclusion, DRC and Head of the Delegation, Prof. John Mugabushaka, hailed Nigeria’s progress in data collection on poverty.

    “Nigeria is doing very well on data collection on poverty, and the results are very outstanding because they reach out to the poorest people as recommended by the United Nation.

    “We have come because we want to learn how Nigeria is running its SIP; we are therefore preparing for a programme that will do the same. It is a transfer of cash to the poorest people,” he said.

     

  • N-Power: Kogi to deploy 7,425 beneficiaries

    The Kogi State Government says it has concluded plans to deploy 7, 425 successful beneficiaries of the second batch of N-Power Programme under the Federal Government Social Investment Programme (SIP) across the state.

    A statement by the Special Adviser to Gov. Yahaya Bello on Multilateral, Donor Agencies and Special Projects Mr Adoga Ibrahim, in Lokoja on Monday said the beneficiaries would be deployed to all the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state as from Aug. 10.

    According to Ibrahim, Kogi SIP office in conjunction with the relevant stakeholders are working tirelessly to ensure the issuance of deployment letters to beneficiaries for prompt resumption at their Places of Primary Assignments (PPA) on or before Aug. 10, 2018.

    “Posting, data processing and production of deployment letters have commenced since July 23, which will end on Friday July 27.

    “The state partners such as Kogi SUBEB, Kogi Science, Technical Education and Teaching Service Commission (STETSCOM), Kogi ADP, and Kogi Primary Health Care Development are already working hard to meet up with the deadline.

    “The state flag-off ceremony will be performed by Gov. Yahaya Bello on Tuesday July 31, at the Government House, Lokoja.

    “At the event, the successful beneficiaries from Lokoja and other LGAs will collect their deployment letters to their PPA, and will also receive the necessary orientation regarding the workings of the N-Power Programme,” Ibrahim said.

    The focal person noted that the deployment exercise would be performed at the senatorial districts and federal constituencies of the LGAs.

    He said the deployment for all LGAs in Kogi Central would take place at Okene on Aug. 2 and 3, while that of Kogi East would hold on Aug. 6 and 7.

    He added that the remaining LGAs in Kogi West would have their deployment at Kabba on Aug 8 and 9.

    Tthe N-Power Programme is one of the five welfare programmes under the Federal Social Investment Programmes in collaboration with the State Governments, which comprises three sectors: Npower- Teach, N-Pwer-Agro, and N-Power-Health.

  • We are passionate in fighting corruption – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday said the present administration has integrity and would continue to prevent corruption at all levels.

    He spoke in Ondo town during the inauguration of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) clinic.

    Osinbajo said “We will continue to expand social investment schemes as income increases.

    “The difference between us and any previous government is that we are not going to steal the money. We spend the money on the people, that’s the difference.”

    “We will continue to invest in states through the Social Investment Programme. But as our income increases we intend to improve and continue to expand.”

    “Indeed, in the last three years, we have demonstrated an abiding commitment to facilitating genuine efforts by all the States of the Federation to attract investment, to diversify their economic base, and create jobs and economic opportunity for their people.”

    “So far, we have held 13 editions of the MSMEs Clinic in various states across all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, and we are today holding the 14th edition of the MSMEs Clinic here in Ondo state.

    “This is further demonstration of our commitment in ensuring that small businesses, market women, artisans have several opportunities to do business successfully.”

    “It is of course well known that MSMEs have tended to be neglected in this country over the years, as a result of competing priorities as well as a tendency to discount their contribution to the national economy.

    “As individual units, small businesses may appear to be slight, but together they account for as much as 50 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and over 80 percent of our labour force”.

    Osinbajo said the MSMEs Clinics were conceived with this in mind; designed to bring government closer to the people by assembling in one place all the regulatory agencies whose work affects the business experience of small and medium scale businesses.

    According to him, “This affords MSMEs an efficient platform to which they can bring their business-related problems for the intervention of regulatory agencies for solution, outside the formal and sometimes intimidating offices of these agencies.

    “At the same time, gaining access to all the agencies in one place saves MSMEs the travel time and cost of having to seek out different agencies”.

    The VP noted that since the launch of this programme last year, it has been easier for small businesses to access funds, because the Bank of Industry (BOI), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) and the Nigerian Export and Import Bank (NEXIM) .

    Osinbajo said they have used the Clinics to increase awareness of their products, and also make available credit to participating businesses.