A sum of N108m has been dedicated to 12 pilot states for the grassroots micro-credit scheme of the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), tThe Federal Government said on Tuesday.
According to Senior Special Assistant to the President on Poverty Eradication and National Co-ordinator of NAPEP, Mallam Mukhtar Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the project signals the dawn of renewed collaborations between the Federal Government and the states for the advancement of the economy.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his chief press secretary, Mrs. Henrietta Okokon, at the flag-off ceremony of the project in Lokoja by Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, Abubakar explained that the GSPs was occasioned by the Federal Government’s resolve to touch the lives of impoverished citizens of the country.
“The project is expected to be implemented 12 pilot states of the federation through cooperative groups. The benefiting states are Kogi, Bauchi, Edo, Cross River, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Ogun, Niger, Plateau, Adamawa, Zamfara and Anambra and about N108 million has been earmarked for the exercise”, he said.
“The Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government seeks to improve the standards of living of all Nigerians through reform and improvement in key sectors, including transportation, energy, health, food security, wealth creation and education”.
He described the Grassroots State Project as a well-thought-out programme, designed to be community-driven and community-owned and takes into consideration the comparative advantage of each state to ensure continuity and sustainability in the nation’s economic development.
“NAPEP is responsible for developing poverty solutions and directly engaging the economically active poor for mass participation in grassroots economic development in Nigeria”, he said.
“Each of our offices in the 36 states and the FCT were required to design a grass root strategy suitable for their respective areas as options were prioritized and final selections meticulously made.
“The initiative is targeted at grassroots poverty, which encompasses both rural and urban poor with gender sensitivity and is driven by the needs and aspirations of the people themselves. In this first phase, 50 projects in Kogi state will be implemented in nine Local Government Areas drawn from the three senatorial districts and will cover the areas of rice production and processing, fisheries and agriculture”.
He revealed that NAPEP has already committed N20m while the governor has graciously contributed N10m as counterpart funds.
“This project is a revolving scheme and not a grant; so many beneficiaries could become independent over a period as the funds are paid back”, he added. “This is therefore, a transparent, self-sustaining project with definite exit points for beneficiaries.
“It is expected that the programme funds will be handled and disbursed through Micro Finance institutions in the various states by Rural Finance Institution Building Programme, to generate employment and capacity building opportunities among the rural poor”.
