Social investment: Managers, beneficiaries of the North East laud FG

Managers of the National Social Investment Program (NSIP) in the northeastern region of the country praised the federal government for the program which has lifted millions of people in the region out of poverty.

In an interview with the Nigeria News Agency (NAN) on Sunday, officials explained that the implementation of the program has had a positive impact on the lives of people in the area.

Ms Mary Yuwadi, the acting NSIP focal person in Adamawa, said the program has had an impact on the lives of graduate and non-graduate beneficiaries.

“The NPower has components like N-Teach, N-Heath, N-Agro and many more. The beneficiaries are doing well. Some have poultry farms and some are now financially stable and are funding the education of their youngest.

“The school feeding program has led to a high number of enrollments among children in primary one to three. In addition, the livelihoods of the poor have been improved through conditional cash transfer (CCT).

“We would like to thank the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Ummar Farouq for the program. We will remain more committed than ever to the overall success of the program, ”said Yuwadi.

Mr Idris Goje, Secretary of State for NSIP in Taraba, said the program has seen many successes in the state.

“The beneficiaries have been assigned to schools, primary health care centres and the agricultural development program in Taraba, where they have done their best and everything is fine now unlike in the days when there was no by NPower.

“The N-Power program has helped reduce the crime rate in the state. Most beneficiaries now have their own auto shops, farms and other businesses.

“On the CCT, some poor people who couldn’t brag about N100 before are now being paid N5,000. Most of them made good use of the money and are now helping others, ”Goje said.

He thanked the federal government and urged it to ensure the sustainability of the program.

Likewise, Malam Muhammed Musa, the head of N-Power in Bauchi said the state has benefited from all components of the NSIP since 2016.

He said more than 15,000 young graduates and non-graduates have benefited from the program.

“More than 8,000 N-Teach participants were able to fill the state’s teacher gap.

“N-Health and others had a positive impact on the entire stay. Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, it is the only program that has positively affected the lives of the country’s youth, ”said Musa.

NAN reports that success stories have also been recorded in parts of Borno that have suffered from insurgency for a few years now.

Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke to NAN, said the program had helped them and their families.

A beneficiary, Mr Adamu Ahmed, from Adamawa said that it was thanks to the program that he was able to set up a patent medicine store and also married his wife, adding that he was now proud to be one.

Imran Adamu, a beneficiary of the N-Health component of NPower in Gombe, said with his monthly allowance of N30,000 N that he was able to save N 480,000 and used it to start operating a pharmacy.

Other beneficiaries, Ms Jamila Ooye in Taraba, Mr John Moses in Maiduguri and Malam Muhammed Chiroma in Yobe appreciated Buhari and Farouq for the program.

According to them, their lives and those of their loved ones have changed for the better and have come out of poverty compared to when the program did not exist. (NAN)