How Buhari govt spent N24bn to alleviate poverty..

Adeleye Kunle Reports

On Tuesday, the Nigerian government announced that it had spent approximately N24 billion on various empowerment and poverty reduction schemes through its National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) in Sokoto State, TrackNews reports.

Hajiya Sadiya Farouk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, announced this on Tuesday at the inauguration of Cash Grant to Vulnerable Groups (GVG) disbursement in the state.

Farouk, represented by the National Coordinator of NSIP, Dr Umar Bindir, stated that effective schemes have been designed to lift vulnerable Nigerians under President Muhammad Buhari’s administration.

“Programs have been implemented in close collaboration with state governments, and the effort is a clear demonstration of our collective commitment to address poverty, which is the core developmental challenge confronting us as a people,” she said.

Since 2015, the Federal Government has focused more on developing solutions and collaborating with state governments to assist the poor and vulnerable, according to the Minister.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, President Buhari’s administration inherited a National Poverty Incidence level of 70% since 2015.

“Despite other economic challenges inherited by the government, this informed the decision to launch the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in 2015.”

“This is a strategy for poverty reduction and social inclusion among Nigerians, particularly women in rural areas,” he added.

According to the minister, NSIP has had a positive impact on the lives of many poor and vulnerable people in Nigeria since 2016.