2,655 Kwarans  Receive N20,000 Cash Assistance  As FG Flags Off GEEP 2.0 Loans In Ilorin 

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian, Disaster Management and Social Development in partnership with the Kwara state government has flagged off the disbursement of N20,000 grant each to at least 2,655 poor and vulnerable Kwarans under the FG’s Grant Vulnerable Groups programme (GVG).

The second phase of the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0) — another loan scheme of President Muhammadu Buhari that is designed to benefit 6,086 farmers, business owners, widows and divorcees across the state, through the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) has also been launched in the state.

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye noted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com  that this had come 24 hours after the State government had supported 490 young entrepreneurs under the Kwaprenuour (3.0) with interest -free loans and had the star business pitchers going  home with cheques of between N1.5m and N2m each. 

At the flag-off ceremony in Ilorin  on Wednesday, the Minister in charge, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, said the cash grant is part of the FG’s social inclusion agenda to raise millions of Nigerian citizens above the poverty line.  

‘We are here to flag off the Grant for Vulnerable Groups programme (GVG) in Kwara State. It is President Muhammadu Buhari’s fulfillment project that was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of the federal government to lift 100,000 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years’ she said.

Represented by the Director of Social Development in the Ministry, Taiwo Adeola Bashorun, the Minister said the 2,655 prospective beneficiaries were drawn from across the sixteen local governments of the state. 

‘The GVG is designed to provide a one-off cash grant of N20,000 to the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians in rural and peri-urban areas across the 36 states of the federation including FCT. Our target in Kwara State is to disburse the grant to at least 2,655 citizens in the 16 LGAs in the state.

Mr. President has directed that 70% of the beneficiaries must be women, while 30% is reserved for the young people, with at least 15% of them expected to be persons with disability (PWDs) and the aged people in the state’ she said.

The minister commended  Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the synergy and for  having the state  subscribed  to the FG’s social investment programmes and other economic policies, especially the proper handling of N-SIP initiative in the state. 

‘We at the Ministry of Humanitarian, Disaster Management and Social Development acknowledge the complementary efforts of the Kwara State Government led by His Excellency, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the implementation of the N-SIP in the state. With this proper synergy, we believe that the target beneficiaries and many more citizens of the state will be on their way out of poverty to prosperity by 2030 as designed by President Muhammadu Buhari’ she added. 

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was represented at the event  by the SSG, Prof Mamman Saba Jubril , while other attendees of the flag off ceremony include ; Special Adviser on Strategy, Alhaji Saadu Salau; Special Adviser on Political Communication, Alhaji Bashir Adigun; Special Assistant on Religion, Alhaji Ibrahim Danmegoro; Dr. Ghali Alaya; and some of the targeted beneficiaries. 

Jubril said the disbursement of grants and loans to marketers and poor citizens reflects the government’s commitment to inclusion and wellbeing of the citizens. 

He urged the beneficiaries, who are in different categories, to make good use of the funds and not commit them to frivolous purposes.  

State Focal Person for N-SIP, Mrs. Bashirat Abdulrasaq, lauded the federal government for committing huge financial resources to lessening hardships and enhancing  the living standards of the masses.

She  however called on the National Assembly to pass into law the N-SIP bill without further delay, noting that  this will enable the government to expand the scope of beneficiaries of the scheme across the country.

Bashirat also commended the state government for domesticating the FG’s cash grant policy in the state, which she said has benefited a lot of marketers, young people and vulnerable groups. 

‘We call our own Owo Isowo (trader moni) and Owo Arugbo (cash conditional transfer). The fact that the Federal government initiated the programme and the state government embraced it is highly commendable’ she said.

Highlight of the occasion was the symbolic presentation of cheques and cash to the various categories of the beneficiaries-  Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you