Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Umar Farouq has urged beneficiaries of N20,000 grant via the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) to use the funds judiciously and not to buy wigs or make-up items.
The NSIP grant for vulnerable groups programme was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
It is consistent with the national target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja during the flag-off, the minister told the beneficiaries to use the grant to increase their income and productive assets.
Farouq urged the women to use the grant to start petty trading or to add to their existing capital, stressing that women are very wise in spending.
She said the selection of the beneficiaries was in line with global best practices to ensure that they are really the vulnerable people.
“It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of the grant to improve productive activities that would generate more income and improve their living standard.
“We hope to see petty traders, peasant farmers, artisanal workers and other beneficiaries of this programme including people with disabilities to prosper,” she said.
She said over 12 million Nigerian households (and still counting) have benefitted from NSIP interventions in the last five years, including nearly one million unemployed graduate beneficiaries under N-Power beneficiaries in batches A, B, and C nationwide, taking home a monthly stipend of N30,000 each.
Also, she said an estimate of nearly 300,000 non-graduates receiving training and starter-packs empowerment, in addition to a monthly stipend of N10,000 for a period of nine months.
