Lucky Obukohwo Reporting Â
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umaru Farouq has said that the sum of N22,569,930,000,00 billion has been spent by the federal government on its social intervention programmes in Edo State.
She also said that no fewer than 386,194 have benefited from the federal government’s National Social Investment Intervention Programme in the state.
The minister said this in Benin during a rally organized by the NSIP beneficiaries to thank President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister for improving their lives through the programmes.
She listed the programmes to include Conditional Cash Transfer, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme GEEP, National Home-Grown School Feeding, Grant for Rural Women among others
Represented by Bello John, she said “out of the number, 32,545 were N-Power graduate beneficiaries on N30,000 monthly stipend and 3,905 N-Power non-graduate beneficiaries were trained on various N-Skill programme while 3,119 are GEEP beneficiaries.
According to her, 342,295 poor and vulnerable House Holds benefited from the N5,000 grant monthly, 1,566 Grant for Rural Women (GRW), while 2,764 benefited from the Grant for Vulnerable Groups.
She added that 3,119 food vendors benefited from HGSFP while 14,208 primary school pupils also benefited from the programme in the state.
She however disclosed that N22,569,930,000,00 billion was expended on the programme in Edo state and commended the president for lifting the beneficiaries out of abject poverty.
On her part, the Edo State Focal Person Osayuwamen Aladeselu said Edo State Government has created enabling environment for the NPower programme and other social investment programmes to thrive by ensuring that relevant MDAs have structures in place for the Programmes.
“When Edobest was launched, N-Power beneficiaries were trained and given tablets to go and also teach in school and in 2021, government gave award to the best N-Power beneficiaries as well as automatic appointment”.
While assuring the beneficiaries of steady payments of allowances by the federal government, she said as a result of the programme, the beneficiaries have been able to undertake some critical projects that have helped uplift their families.
Earlier, One of the beneficiaries, Ikponmwosa Joy said the rally was organized as an avenue for the beneficiaries to thank the president for improving their lives and lifting them out of abject poverty through the NSIP.
She however appealed to the federal government to allow the programmes to continue beyond the administration of President Muhammed Buhari for the benefit of the people.