Buhari says N-Power, others will be institutionalised

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday moved the National Special Intervention Programmes (NSIPs) to the newly created Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development ministry with the aim of “institutionalising” them.

Buhari made the disclosure during his national broadcast to commemorate Nigeria’s 59th independence.

The Nigerian president explained that “Our ongoing N500 billion Special Intervention Programme continues to target these vulnerable groups, through the Home-grown School Feeding Programme, Government Economic Empowerment Programme, N-Power Job Creation Programme, loans for traders and artisans, Conditional Cash Transfers to the poorest families and social housing scheme.”

“To institutionalize these impactful programmes, we created the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development which shall consolidate and build on our achievements to date.”

Prior to this, activities of NSIPs were coordinated by a government Steering Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo which comprises Finance, Education, Health, Agriculture, Trade and Investment, Youth and Sports, Women Affairs, Labour and Productivity, Information ministers to implement government’s agenda.

Nigeria’s budget and national planning ministry was NSIPs secretariat.

National Social Investment Office (NSIO) spokesman Justice Bibiye in September explained the role of Osinbajo in the programme amidst criticisms from government opposition.

He said President Buhari only asked Osinbajo to oversee the schemes and “all matters regarding financing, budgeting, procurement and disbursement should be done by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.”

Osinbajo had been the arrowhead for the implementation of NSIPs- Trader Moni, Market Moni, Farmer Moni, Anchors Borrowers Scheme, N-Power and the Home Grown School Feeding programme across the country.

With the institutionalising of the NSIPs, Buhari assured beneficiaries of these programmes that his government’s commitment to social inclusion will increase.

He said the government will continue to invest in education, health, water and sanitation, as well as food security, to ensure that citizen’s basic needs are met.