NSIPA: National Coordinator resumes office, pledges to address lapses in programme

The new National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency, NSIPA, Hajiya Halima Shehu, has expressed commitment to address the challenges associated with the NSIP programme in the past, ranging from transparency, accountability and getting the actual data of poor and vulnerable groups in the country.

This, according to her, will assist the Agency improve the living standard of beneficiaries through the NSIP.

The National Coordinator stated this when she resumed office on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said though the programme is yet to alleviate poverty in the country, her office will strive to improve in its service delivery.

She said, “The NSIP programmes have now been running since 2016 across the country but it’s yet to completely alleviate poverty. First, because the population of poor/vulnerables is twice higher than the average population of Nigerians who can afford the basic human needs and not up to 30% of the population have been empowered.

“Poverty as we all know , engenders crime in any society, the more the people are uplifted out of poverty the lesser the crime rate in any society.

“The programmes have witnessed so many criticisms in the country for lack of transparency, accountability, free & fair selection of beneficiaries, realistic database and publicity amongst others.

“We hope to do better in this aspect especially now that the programmes are governed by an act which is a legal framework that clearly states the function of the Agency, the CEO & Stakeholders”.

The National Coordinator who is not a novice in the assignments of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation assured that the lapses in the NSIP will be addressed.

In her words, “My working experience in this ministry in the last 4 years has availed me the opportunity to interface with the needy across the country and i have personally witnessed life changing situations on this programmes to the beneficiaries, we have taken a lot of risk in carrying out this Humanitarian services, sometimes when we get to riverine areas we get into a boat or a helicopter to get to this beneficiaries. So I know exactly the scope of work at NSIPA and the huge task ahead of us to be accomplished in a limited timeline.

“I know that all areas of operational lapses will be looked into for better life transforming interventions on poverty stricken conditions of the poor Nigerians across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT , Abuja)”.