The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has rated President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration more highly in poverty alleviation and job creation than any previous government.
According to the minister, “No government in the history of this country has ever methodically and seriously put in place measures aimed at addressing poverty alleviation and creating jobs for youths like this administration.”
Mohammmed stated this in Kaduna State on Monday during a meeting of the Northern Governors Forum with traditional rulers on aftermath of the #EndSARS protest.
The meeting was hosted by Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai. A federal government delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari were also at the meeting.
Among the federal government delegation include the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and Lai Mohammmed.
On projects initiated by Buhari’s government and targeted at providing job opportunities and alleviating poverty, Mohammed listed the N75 billion National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), which he said, was part of the N2.3 trillion Economic Sustainability Plan meant to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on most vulnerable Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.
He added that the Fund, which the Federal Executive Council (FEC), approved on July 22, 2020 was targeted at young people between ages 18-35 years and was expected to last for a period of three years (2020-2023).
He equally mentioned the MSMEs Survival Fund, which he said Buhari’s government initiated as a cluster of grants to support MSMEs to meet their payroll obligations and safeguard MSMEs jobs from the shock of COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the MSME Survival Fund included payroll support for businesses in the health, education, hospitality and food production sectors targeted at 500,000 beneficiaries as well as one-off payment to support self-employed individuals like mechanics and drivers, hair dressers, Keke Napep and Okada riders, plumbers, electricians with a one-time payment of N30,000 for 333,000 beneficiaries.
Other initiatives by the government listed by Mohammed include the N-POWER project which he said had engaged 500,000 beneficiaries with 400,000 more in December, FARMERMONI, TRADERMONI and MARKETMONI.
(C) Control TV 2020.
