Poverty reduction: 2 million vulnerable people gain from social empowerment projects

By Egena Sunday Ode

No fewer than two million vulnerable Nigerians across the country have been impacted by projects implemented under the Federal Government’s National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) for the year 2022.

A progress report presented at the NPRGS Steering Committee meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday also indicated that about 1.6 million smallholder farmers were impacted under the Agriculture for Jobs Plan.

Also,13,000 youths have been trained under a Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme in 6 States comprising Lagos, Ogun, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna and Nasarawa, while arrangements are underway to provide similar training for 2000 beneficiaries in Edo State.

Equally, it revealed that more than 8,000 Nigerians were employed in rural roads construction under the Rural Roads programme which built 40 rural roads in 120 communities, covering about 57.3 km across the country, media aide to the Vice President, Laolu Akande said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the NPRGS implementation monitoring update presented by the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, “following the release of N50 billion, programmes that have achieved 100% completion include: Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP),and Construction of Rural Roads, among others, the statement said.

“A total number of direct beneficiaries of the implemented programmes currently stands at 1,818,782 vulnerable Nigerians and a total of 9,527 Nigerians have also been directly employed through the implementation of the programmes so far.”

Akande said, at the meeting

•To expand social register with 3m households

also, the committee approved the sum N250 billion for the execution of projects for the year 2023. Projects scheduled for implementation under the NPRGS for the year include:

“The provision of 100,000 homes for low-income earners which will create 1 million jobs directly and indirectly.

“The expansion of energy access by providing 1,200 solar street lights in rural communities and 6 mini-grids for high-capacity productive farming under the Solar Naija Programme.

“Creation of 4.5 million direct and indirect jobs through the Rural Roads programme which targets to connect about 750 rural markets.

“Provision of N9 billion support for over 1.6 million vulnerable smallholder farmers for the 2023 wet season farming under the Agriculture for Jobs Plan.

“The expansion of the National Social Register with additional 3 million households.”