By Correspondent in Awka
The Federal government has restated its commitment toward continued Implementation of the National Social Investment Program(NSIP) aimed at fighting hunger among venerable Nigerians across the country.
Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, stated this during a stakeholders meeting in Awka on Tuesday.
Umar Farouk was represented by Mr Charles Nwanalo,Deputy Director of the Ministry and Team Leader,South- East Distribution of Computes Tablets and Engagement Certificate.
She said that venerable persons to include youths, elderly persons, widows, children, micro business persons and poorest of the poor.
The minister said that the implementation of NSIP involved four unique clusters, strategically designed to involve all stakehold particularly the state government agencies community leaders among st others.
According to her, the four clusters on the NSIP are the N-Power, aimed at building capacity, skills and competences that can unleash jobs among the youth, the Conditional Cash Transfer(CCT) aimed at reducing the venerability of poor homes by providing monthly cash transfers of N5,000
She added that the National Home-Grown School Feeding program(NHGSFP), designed as a multi-faceted intervention to drive school enrollment up, boost nutrition of pupils, support local production of food and encourage employment and income generation.
“NHGSFP specifically is aimed at the provision of one nutritious meal to all pupils in public primary schools in classes 1 to 3 to achieve objectives, we are in Anambra on the strength of our partnership and mutual recognition of the need to do more on the NHGSFP,”the minister said.
Umar Farouq said that the ministry desired to bring Nigerians under the umbrella of the government’s social protection mechanism, to scale up numbers of the pupils benefiting from the program, as directed by the presidency.
She reminded the people that President Muhammadu Buhari recognized the social challenges in the country and decided to innovatively take a proactive and decisive measures in fighting effects of absolute poverty and its attending consequences.
“ Buhari as a responsible leader, after due consultations and research launched the implementation of the National Social Investment Program to provide maximum impact, To achieve a desired results the program was strategically designed to fully involve all stakeholders,” she said.
He assured the nation that adequate security had been planned, expressed optimism that enumeration of beneficiaries and scaling up of the NHGSFP in Anambra would be a huge success.
Mrs Uzoamaka Eriken , Programme Manager in Anambra said that the programne was moving on well in the state, adding that Anambra was the second state in Nigeria that benefited from the programme since its inception in 2016.
“ The sustenance of the NHGSFP. program of NSIP is well appreciated and assured that they will continue to do their best to achieve poverty reduction and huge enrolment of pupil in public schools,” she said
Eriken said that a total of 1,069 public primary schools in Anambra had been listed for the Programme among other plans.
Mr Ayo Ayanda, Assistant Director, Corps Inspection and Monitoring of National Youth Service Corp in the state, said that the agency was ready and had trained as well as prepared its corps members for the work to ensure huge success.
Mr Charles Nwoji of National Orientation Agency (NOA) said that the agency has directed all its officers across the state to enlighten the people of the Programme and its attendant benefits.
