Sadiya Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, launched the Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG) and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) in Plateau State on Thursday, urging beneficiaries to make wise use of the funds to improve their lives. Farouq, who was represented in Jos by the Ministry’s Director of Humanitarian Affairs, Ali Grema, stated that the initiative is being executed in close collaboration with the State Government.
According to the minister, it was a sign of a collaborative commitment to addressing poverty, which is the nation’s primary developmental concern.
“The GVG was designed to provide a one-time grant, a cash grant of N20,000.00, to some of the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians in rural and peri-urban areas across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, to empower the beneficiaries to improve their productivity and commercial activities, primarily to ease them out of poverty,” she added.
Plateau State’s goal is to distribute the award to approximately 3,500 people across the state’s 17 Local Government Areas, a considerable increase from 1,928 beneficiaries in 2020. This demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling poverty in the state.
She went on to say that President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated that 70% of the beneficiaries be women, with the remaining 30% going to youths. He also mandated that at least 15% of total beneficiaries be allocated to individuals with special needs, such as Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and Senior Citizens in the State.
