FG earmarks N1.8b for NSIP monitoring

The Federal Government is to spend a whopping N1.8 billion to monitor the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) across the country.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, disclosed in Bauchi yesterday that there were 5,000 independent monitors of the programme.

Farouq, who was in Bauchi to distribute gadgets and engagement letters to about 250 beneficiaries trained and deployed to different local councils in the state, said the 5,000 beneficiaries would be paid N30,000 monthly for one year – amounting to N1.8 billion.

She said the monitors would oversee the activities of N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), Homegrown Feeding, and Government Enterprises and Endowment Programme (GEEP) that was introduced in 2016.

Her words: “The application, which we call the Social Investment Management Information System (SIMIS), is a mobile and web-based application designed for monitoring the NSIP.

“Using this application, the ministry sees a real-time report of activities of the independent monitors on the field. We can view reports submitted and see the NSIP performance indicators by state. This will enable the ministry to detect areas where there are challenges and provide greater visibility of activities happening in the field.”

She added that the app would help the ministry deliver on its mandate and contribute to President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

“Each independent monitor is expected to monitor a designated number of beneficiaries of the NSIP. They will be paid a monthly stipend of N30,000 and they must meet up to 80 per cent of their deliverables monthly to be eligible for their stipend,” she said.