60% beneficiaries of poverty alleviation programme now employers of labour - FG

By Madu Obi

About 60% beneficiaries of the ongoing federal government's poverty alleviation programme are now employers of labour, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has said.

At the evaluative workshop with beneficiaries and implementers of the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy, NPRGS, in Awka, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Vitalis Obi, said the great success was recorded among graduates of technical and vocational education participating in the programme.

According to him, a recent field evaluation carried out by the Ministry also highlighted a 25-30% increase in crop yields from participants under the programme.

He added that the programme has significantly boosted economic activities and access to essential services.

Obi said: "The programme has made so much impact on the beneficiaries as it has brought them out of poverty. We, in the Ministry, are delighted at the resilience the beneficiaries have shown in their efforts to improve their standard of living.

They have become economically viable and this is in line with the policy of the present administration to empower the people."

The programme reaffirms the federal government's unwavering commitment to fostering inclusive economic growth, job creation and national prosperity. In alignment with these goals, the programme has been strategically implemented through five critical components.

According to Obi, the Awka meeting provides a crucial platform for reflection, learning, and dialogue on the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the implementation of the NPRGS.

He said that the interaction also provided the beneficiaries the opportunity to chart a way forward for strengthening the programme and maximizing its impact on poverty reduction and economic development in Nigeria.

The Director, National Monitoring and Evaluation, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Olasunbo Ayinde - Yakub, said one of its mandates is to track and report on the performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) with regards to the implementation of government policies, programmes and projects through the National Monitoring and Evaluation (NM&E) department..

She explained that the evaluative workshop was essential to assess the Impact, efficiency, and sustainability of the intervention, specifically the impact on the life of the beneficiaries and communities.