Muhammad Garba
The federal government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has flagged off the second phase of the Government Entrepreneur Empowerment Program (GEEP) targeted over 1.4 million beneficiaries across the country.
Speaking at the official Flagg off of the program held in Dutse, Jigawa state capital, the Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hon Sadiya Umar Faruk said the second phase aims at consolidating the success recorded in the first phase of the program.
Hon. Sadiya who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of her Ministry, Dr. Nasiru Sani Gwarzo said when President Buhari took over the mantle of power in 2015, over 70 percent of Nigerians were living below the poverty level.
The minister noted that, out of concern and determination to change the negative narration, the president established the Social Intervention Program (SIP)/under which a series of empowerment and intervention programs were initiated and implemented to tackle the challenges.
“Today there are many success stories; it is evidently the impact of the first phase has elevated millions of Nigerians from abject poverty while many become employers of labor.
“The program has translated to jobs/wealth creation and poverty reduction which are the ultimate goals of the program, indeed we have achieved the desire goals,” she declared
The Minister added that the targeted beneficiaries in the second phase will receive N50,000 each to enhance their small-scale trade.
According to her Jigawa state is among the top four states with a higher number of prospective beneficiaries of the Government Entrepreneur Empowerment Program (GEEP) as over 6,000 beneficiaries have already been accredited in the state.
She then charged the beneficiaries, to be determined and self-disciplined in utilizing the loan for achieving the desired goals.
