The Federal Government has earmarked the sum of N108 million for 12 pilot states for the grassroots micro-credit scheme of the National Poverty Eradication Programme.
The project will mark the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the Federal Government and the States, which is a much-needed partnership expected to move the economy forward.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Poverty Eradication and National Co-ordinator of NAPEP, Mukhtar Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, stated this during the flag-off ceremony of the project in Lokoja by Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada.
According to him, the GSPs came as a result of the Federal Government’s initiative to ensure that the lives of the underrepresented economically active poor citizens of this country were significantly and positively touched.
“The project is expected to be implemented in twelve (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,” Balewa said in a statement issued in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Henrietta Okokon.
Balewa said the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government seeks to improve the standards of living all Nigerians through reform and improvement in key sectors, including transportation, energy, health, food security, wealth -creation and education.
The NAPEP boss stated that the Grassroots State Project is 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.
Balewa said that 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.”
The National Coordinator reiterated that 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.
NAPEP, he said, has committed the sum of N20 million while the Governor has graciously contributed N10 million as counter- part 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. 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”, he stated.