N-SIP: FG tasks focal persons on professionalism

The Federal Government has urged the 36 state focal persons of the National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP), to remain professionals and to double their efforts in order to better the scheme.

The government through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, gave the charge yesterday while declaring open the N-SIP annual strategic review 2021 review, in Abuja.

According to her, the meeting is designed to provide an avenue for the Ministry and N-SIP leadership to relate with partners, to take stock of the entire spectrum of activities around effective implementation of all clusters of the N-SIP.

Represented by the National Coordinator of N-SIP, Umar Bindir, she said: ‘The N-SIP, as we are all very aware, is a cluster of social investment programmes deliberately introduced by His Excellency President Buhari and solely funded by the Federal Government to address the social gaps, especially amongst the youth, the poor and the vulnerable nationwide.

‘In its implementation for sustainability and effectiveness, Mr President purposely ensured a viable partnership between the Federal Government, one hand, and the 36 states and the FCT, on the other, to drive his agenda of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by the year 2030.

As key representatives and appointees of your various state governments tasked with the onerous responsibility of overseeing the effective implementation of the N-SIPs in your respective states, therefore, you, the Focal Persons, hold the key role of strengthening this relationship, and I urge you all to work hard towards building and strengthening this partnership for the overall benefit of every Nigerian.

‘The annual strategic review meeting is designed to provide a veritable avenue for the Ministry and N-SIP leadership to meaningfully relate with our strategic implementation partners, represented by the State Focal Persons and other critical stakeholders gathered here today, to take stock of the entire spectrum of activities around the effective implementation of all clusters of the N-SIP, nationally and in our respective states, with a view to drawing on the valuable lessons learnt to guide future implementation during this and the coming years.

‘This meeting also provides a welcome opportunity for us to congratulate ourselves in areas where we did well, while also closely looking at specific areas and implementation modalities where we have faced challenges, with a view to strategizing towards further improvements on effective programme implementation and impactful delivery.

‘It is in the light of this that I urge you all to effectively participate and openly share your valuable insights during this strategic meeting to help guide and shape the emergence of an outcome that will help substantially improve on programme implementation across all clusters, and in all states of the federation.’