.21,000 farmers to get N300,000 each under GEEP
The Federal Government has disbursed over N493 billion to about five million households across Nigeria following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to reopen the accounts of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, said the disbursement is part of efforts to revive key social intervention programmes under the Ministry.
The move comes months after President Tinubu suspended the NSIPA accounts and ordered a probe into alleged financial mismanagement.
Sununu also revealed that 21,000 smallholder farmers will each receive N300,000 under the Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) as part of a new support scheme targeting dry season farming. The fund, he said, is non-collateral and interest-free.
The NSIPA accounts had been suspended in January 2024 after President Tinubu ordered a thorough investigation into the operations of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and its associated agencies.
The president also set up a panel led by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to reform the structure of the national social investment programmes.
Following the lifting of the account suspension, Sununu noted that funds previously withheld have now been restored, enabling the ministry to resume programmes like the Conditional Cash Transfer, National Homegrown School Feeding, N-Power training, and FarmerMoni.
He said: “Mr. President has directed that the account be reopened and funds returned. With additional releases expected for 2025, we are fully set to implement our programmes.”
The Minister also announced the imminent rollout of the Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG). To improve accountability and reach, the Ministry has engaged 53 companies to update beneficiaries’ National Identification Numbers (NIN), Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), and account details in the National Social Register.
Sununu emphasized that transparency and accountability are central to the renewed operations of the ministry. “We must redeem the image of the ministry and ensure the impact of our work is genuinely felt by those in need,” he said.
He highlighted that the Rapid Response Register had already reached over 75 million individuals, with distribution closely aligned to data from the National Multidimensional Poverty Index.
According to him, 65% of Nigeria’s poor are in the North, with the Northwest alone recording a 64% poverty rate, surpassing the national average of 63%. He said 71% of current beneficiaries are in the North, while 29% are in the South, reflecting the poverty distribution across regions.
Sununu also stressed the need for a coordinated national response to poverty and humanitarian crises. He disclosed that the Federal Executive Council had approved the establishment of a National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to enhance collaboration across federal, state, and local governments.
While noting that the National Social Register is meant to be a temporary support system, Sununu said efforts are ongoing to provide durable solutions to lift Nigerians out of poverty permanently.
On foreign support, the Minister appreciated the €1.5 million donation by the European Union to assist internally displaced persons in Benue State and support children battling severe acute malnutrition.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Tinubu-led administration to reforming the humanitarian and poverty alleviation architecture, saying, “It will no longer be business as usual.”