We would tackle the problem of poverty in Nigeria – NSIP Coordinator

The Federal Government on Tuesday promised to address the scourge of poverty plaguing the country.

Halima Shehu, the National Social Investment Programme Agency’s (NSIPA) CEO and national coordinator, stated as she addressed reporters in Abuja.

She also provided an explanation for the country’s persistently high rate of poverty as well as the reasons her processors were unable to address the issue.

The National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) is a programme of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation that was established during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari with the goal of creating jobs to improve the lives of Nigerians living in extreme poverty, raise their standard of living, and improve the economy.

Therefore, Shehu explained that despite the programme running since 2016, the National Social Investment Programme has not been able to relieve poverty across the country due to Nigeria’s large population of poor and vulnerable residents.

Speaking further, she emphasise that the government was working hard to reduce poverty in Nigeria, since this would help to reduce crime across the country.

“As we all know the NSIP programmes have now been running in the country since 2016 across the country but it’s yet to completely alleviate poverty out of the country.

“First, (it is) because the population of poor/vulnerable is twice higher than the average population of Nigerians who can afford the basic human needs, and not up to 30 per cent of the population have been empowered.

“Poverty, as we all know, engenders crime in any society. The more the people are uplifted out of poverty the lesser the crime rate in any society,” the NSIP coordinator stated.

Shehu said the NSIP programmes had witnessed so many criticisms for lack of transparency, accountability, a free and fair selection of beneficiaries, a realistic database, and publicity, among others.

“We hope to do better in this aspect especially now that the programmes are governed by an act which is a legal framework that clearly states the function of the agency, the chief executive and stakeholders,” she added.