N-power, school feeding schemes: We’ve made progress – Minister

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

While reeling out her scorecard to journalists and stakeholders, yesterday in Abuja, she explained that, “on the 11th of March 2021, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development launched the National Social Investment Management System (NASIMS), for the Batch C applicants who were requested to urgently update their personal information and subsequently, take an online test via the NASIMS Portal.

“By the 3rd week of May 2021, over 1.8 million Nigerians successfully updated their records and took the compulsory online test.

“Further screening was undertaken and a short-list of 550,000 applicants qualified for the final selection to engage 500,000 nationwide to serve as the first stream of the N-Power Batch C programme.

“This is the Batch C1. The second batch of another 500,000 will subsequently be made in line with Mr President’s directive to engage 1,000,000 beneficiaries under the Batch C.”

She added that, “The 550,000 short-listed applicants are being individually contacted via their e-mail addresses provided and are first advised to check and then immediately log on to the NASIMS self-service portal and enrol their biometric data to qualify for final selection.

“In the e-mail notifications sent to all short-listed applicants, detailed instructions on next steps are provided.

“Additionally, applicants are invited to please call the dedicated NASIMS, N-Power helplines for further enquiries on their application status and any other questions they may have.

“They must ensure that they keep their application details handy to ensure hitch free communication with the call centre desk.

“I am also pleased to inform you that the Ministry has recommenced the National Home-Grown School Feeding programme.

“A total of 9,196,823 pupils in classes 1 to 3 in public primary schools will receive one nutritious meal daily in all 54,619 schools nationwide.

“The programme is being expanded to accommodate an additional 5 million children in line with the directives of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The outcomes of this programme includes increase in school enrolment, improved nutrition for benefiting pupils, boosting of local economies and facilitating job creation through the activities of 103,028 cooks, 100,000 small holder farmers and numerous aggregators and commodity transporters engaged nationwide.

“Furthermore, I am happy to report to you that plans to on-board the second Batch of beneficiaries under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) are nearing completion and will be made public soon.

“Also as part of the NSIP, the Rapid Response Register (RRR) has been put in place by the Ministry as a shock responsive intervention register specifically targeted at the Urban Informal workers impacted by the Covid 19 Pandemic.

“One million Beneficiaries will receive monthly cash transfers of N5,000 for 6 months. A pilot commenced earlier this year with 3,115 beneficiaries in Lagos and Abuja.

“It will be up scaled nationwide and beneficiaries will start receiving their stipends soon.

“The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development remains committed to the continued implementation of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP), in line with Mr President’s policy to unfailingly lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, especially through innovative Youth Empowerment and Gainful Employment.”