6.1 million Nigerians enroll in Social Intervention Register ― Minister Reveals

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru – Abuja

The Federal Government on Friday said that 6.1 million Nigerians have been captured in the database of the national Social Intervention Register.

Nigerian Youths

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, who disclosed this in Abuja at a one-day media launch to flag-off the National Social Investment Office and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, NSIO-ICPC partnership on preventing corruption in the implementation of the N-SIP.

According to the minister, the 6.1 million households comprised beneficiaries in the National Social Investment Programme N-SIP, cutting across the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, NHGSFP, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP, N-Power and the National Cash Transfer Programme, NCTP.

The intervention programmes which had been under the purview of Mrs Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to the President on SIP, is estimated to have impacted the lives of over twelve million Nigerians, including several millions of indirect beneficiaries.

The Minister said 9.8 million beneficiaries have been captured in the homegrown school feeding programme, while the N-Power has also captured 548,000 graduates and non-graduates.

She said that 2.1 million beneficiaries are currently captured in the government enterprise and empowerment programme while the conditional cash transfer initiatives comprising TraderMoni, FarmerMoni and MarketMoni have over 400,000 beneficiaries.

She said despite the success story recorded indirect social interventions, the recent directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that 100million Nigerians be lifted out of poverty within ten years, remains sacrosanct.

According to her, “With the successful outcomes of people-oriented programmes and policies, Government is already looking at taking 100 million Nigerians out of the poverty line in the next ten years.

“Incidentally, this target set by Mr President comes at a time when most of the programmes and agencies saddled with the mandate of addressing the plight of Nigerians who are way below the poverty line, have been moved to the newly created Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for synergy and close supervision.

“To achieve the task of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years in line with Mr President’s directive, we must as a ministry ensure that all our poverty alleviation strategies and programmes remained strengthened and devoid of infractions that could undermine ongoing efforts to empower our poor and vulnerable citizens.”