The Federal Government has engaged 5000 independent monitors to verify disbursement running into billions of Naira made to Nigerians under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
Out of this number, 195 monitors were selected from Lagos. The monitors have begun a two week training programme.
NSIP created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 with the mandate of lifting citizens out of poverty warehouses a number of social interventions which include the job creation programme – NPower, National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (CCT) and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
Tradermoni, Marketmoni, Farmermoni, special grant transfer, public workfare and skills for jobs are all under these programmes.
Also, a Unified National Social Register is to be inaugurated that will provide a database of all government intervention programmes, including the list of beneficiaries nationwide.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk said in Lagos Thursday, that 5000 independent monitors have been assigned to monitor programme beneficiaries within their schools, households and market clusters with the focus of ensuring that the primary objectives of the programmes were achieved.
Speaking through the Assistant Director, Research and Statistics, Mrs. Jumai Ali, the Minister said the scope of the programmes was large with 13 million citizens across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) benefiting from the Federal Government intervention. She also announced that the government will be working with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFFC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and security agencies to check monitors who may want to engage in mal practices.
In her address during the ceremony to onboard independent monitors for (NSIP), the Lagos Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs Yetunde Arobieke said Tradermoni, Marketmoni, Farmermoni, NPower, conditional cash transfer, home grown schools feeding, special grant transfer, public workfare and skills for jobs, youth employment and social support operation and now rural women cash grant, have had remarkable impact, and improved the living conditions of rural women and taken more people out of poverty.
To address unemployment, Mrs Arobieke said the government established the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).
The Commissioner, who is also the State Focus Person for NSIP said residents have benefited from cash support and relief materials.
