– Calls for upward review of NHGSFP program in Nigeria
The Focal Person of the National Social Investment Program (NSIP) in Osun State, Hon. Kehinde Ibitoye, yesterday called for an upward review of the National Home Grown School Feeding Program (NHGSFP) in the country.
Ibitoye who commended the initiative and positive impact on the pupils in the public schools said an upward review of the current N100 per child feeding budget, would improve the delivery of the program for results and help the federal government to realize its aims.
The Osun NSIP focal person added that efforts are in top gear to capture all the pupils in public primary schools from classes 1-3 as they progress.
He emphasized the need to do a further upward review of the N100 school feeding budget for each child considering the current cost of living in the country.
Highlighting the summary of the status of the implementation of NSIP in Osun State, Ibitoye said the NHGSFP covered about 1,312 schools and 95,983 pupils.
Speaking with newsmen in Osogbo, the Osun NSIP focal person said that the social Investment program is real, impactful and truly eradicating poverty in Osun state and Nigeria at large.
Ibitoye commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for the maximum support and strong partnership with the Federal Government towards the effective implementation of the programs in Osun state.
He applauded the Federal Government for the initiative and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for efficient implementation.
On National Youth Employment Program, the Focal Person enunciated that the beneficiaries of the NPower program (batch C) in Osun State are 14,600.
He said that the data for the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program in the state for the poor and vulnerable women, has increased to 15,522, saying it is a huge success as more data are expected to be allocated from the national social register.
Ibitoye also disclosed that the CCT program is making a huge impact on the lives of the poor and vulnerable women in rural communities.
Speaking on the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program (GEEP), he said the first batch was implemented in Osun between 2017 and 2018 where over 25,000 small traders and artisans benefited from tradermoni and marketmoni.
”The GEEP program has been reviewed, restructured, and rebooted. Presently, there is ongoing registration of intending beneficiaries targeting small traders, artisans, poor women, and rural farmers across the 30 local government areas of the state.
”The program is in three schemes(tradermoni, marketmoni, and farmermoni) with a zero interest loan between N50,000 to N300,000.
Ibitoye said, “We shall continue to update the general public as we progress. Osun State under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke (IMOLE) is a responsible state with open governance and transparency. NSIP is the most impactful social intervention program any government has ever initiated in this country”.
The Hope
