FG disburses N80bn for Social Investment Programmes in 2016

The Federal Government said it disbursed N80 billion in 2016 for the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) aimed at ameliorating the sufferings of vulnerable people in the country.

This was made known in an excerpt of a book on ‘‘Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigeria’s Peace and Prosperity: A Mid-Term Report Card on the Buhari Administration’’.

The book is authored by the Presidential Media Team.

It recalled that the amount appropriated for the programmes for the 2016 fiscal year was N500 billion.

“N80 billion has so far been released to the Accounting Office of the programmes (being the Ministry of Budget and National Planning), in the last quarter of 2016.

“That is why implementation of various aspects of the programmes is just commencing, with strategies to upscale.

“Scaling up extensively will require that the procurement processes are completed to set up efficient systems and roll-out effectively.

“Procurement, being handled by the supervising ministry, is ongoing.”

SIPs include the N-Power, designed to help young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills, and the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme aimed at increasing enrolment and completion rate at the primary school level.

Other programmes are the Conditional Cash Transfer aimed at providing targeted money transfers to poor and vulnerable households and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme to provide financial service access to traders.

NAN reports that the book is a documentation of the notable achievements of the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Party (APC) administration since it was inaugurated on May 29, 2015.

President Buhari wrote the foreword of the 348-page book, which contained milestones of all the federal ministries and some select department and agencies of government, in the last two years.

The Buhari Media Support Group also contributed to the compendium, rich with text and visuals.

NAN also reports that the book will be presented on Nov. 16 by APC National Leader Bola Tinubu and reviewed by Prince Tony Momoh.