Nigerian govt claims it spent $1bn annually to pull citizens out of poverty

The Federal Government said that it has earmarked about $7 billion through the National Social Investment Programme within the last seven years in a bid to pull 100 million of her citizens out of poverty.

Sadiyya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, made this claim on Tuesday in a keynote speech during the flag-off of the N-Skills, Pilot 2, which was held at the Professor Iya Abubakar Resource Center, Bauchi State.

READ ALSO:Nigerian govt spent $5bn fighting poverty in five years —Sadiya Farouk

The Social Development Minister added that President Muhammadu Buhari had given the needed priority to addressing the sufferings of the under-privileged people all over the nation since he emerged her leader in 2021.

She said: “Since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2015, the Federal Government has paid more attention to promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country despite the economic slump the administration inherited.

“This informed the decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as a strategy for enhancing social inclusion. NSIP is one of the largest social protection programmes in Africa with about $1billion earmarked annually to cause positive change in the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country.

“Since its introduction in 2016, the programme has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria. I have personally witnessed the life-changing experiences of people who lived below the poverty line and those that are vulnerable to shocks,” she noted.

By Mohammed Taoheed

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