The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, in partnership with the National Orientation Agency, has organised a two-day training workshop for staffers in order to ensure the seamless execution and implementation of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
Speaking Friday during the flag of the training in Abuja, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, said that the NOA has a wider reach in all the states of Nigeria, hence the partnership for better understanding of the GEEP programme.
She said: “The Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP), being one of the four National Social Investment Programme, is an initiative that is designed to give collateral and interest free credits to poor and vulnerable people identified at the bottom of the economic pyramid, including persons with disability.
“It is of great pleasure to formally announce a collaborative partnership with the National Orientation Agency as one of the partners in implementation of the NSIP programmes since inception. In its bid to consistently raise awareness to positively change attitudes, values, and behaviors, I must say the agency has shown outstanding dedication towards effective implementation of the NSIP programme.
“The NOA is identified as one of the organs of government agencies largely spread across all states and local governments with the capacity to adequately engage, mobilize and sensitize the general public on government programmes and policies.
It is in this vein that the FMHADMSD entered partnership with this agency to appoint the Community Orientation and Mobilization officers (COMO’s) as the – ‘GEEP Local Government Desk Officers’ at all the 774 local government levels areas across the 36 states and the FCT.”
She added: “The role of the desk officers will be to sensitize communities on the GEEP programme, register interested beneficiaries of TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni, collect and collate necessary data for the programme, provide necessary feedback to the programme coordinators at state and federal levels, encourage active participation of the programme and uphold the mandate of the programme and lead with honesty, fairness under conditions of oath.
“This two-day intensive interactive training course intends to train the master trainers and to provide an understanding and insight to the processes, drivers, threats and opportunities associated with the core GEEP activities.
“The training is expected to educate the Master trainers about the newly introduced structure of top-bottom representation from the Federal through state and local government levels respectively, as well as inform them on the roles and responsibilities of the COMO’s on how to register and enlighten the target beneficiaries on how to access the GEEP loans in furtherance to help eradicate poverty, generate employment throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Finally, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation NSIP team and staff of the Ministry for your dedication and hard work and to the Chairman Senate Comm. On Poverty Alleviation, the Chairman House Committee on Poverty alleviation on your continues support and dedication in the fight against poverty and to staff of NOA and all dignitaries here present for gracing this occasion.”
