The bill which seeks to provide a legal framework for the establishment of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) on Tuesday scaled through second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
The private member bill sponsored by the Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and 11 others, also seeks to establish the National Social Investment Programmes Coordination Office within the Federal Ministry responsible for social development to manage the implementation of the programmes and National Social Investments Trust Fund to Alleviate Poverty among Vulnerable Nigerian Citizens through Targeted Programmes for the Aged, Unemployed and Students and for related matters.
Leading the debate on its general principles, Hon Manu Soro said that despite their significance as sources of empowerment and human capital development, there seems to be a non-existing institutional framework established by law to coordinate the activities of the various programmes.
The above according to him is what this Bill seeks to address by bridging the looming gap through the establishment of a trust fund that will not only facilitate effective coordination of the multiple investment programmes but will also guarantee their sustainability beyond the administration responsible for the laudable initiative.
Hon Soro observed that: ”This gap affects their purpose of establishment, capacity to deliver their mandate within time and inability to impact on transforming the lives of the teeming expected beneficiaries.
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“The objectives of the bill included the establishment of a Trust Fund with effective governing board and management team to administer and co-ordinate the implementation of the social investment programme.
“Ensuring the attainment of the objectives of the programmes; facilitation of the realisation of socio-economic security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government; ensuring justice, equity and fairness in the distribution and disbursement of benefits among targeted beneficiaries irrespective of geographical location, sex, ethnic, religious or tribal considerations. Others were the facilitation of effective inter-governmental relationship in the administration of the programmes.”
Recall that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq had during the oversight visit at the instance of the House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, called for expedite action on the passage of the National Social Investment Office Establishment Bill.
The Minister during the interactive session also unveiled the present administration’s plans to expand the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme to target an additional five million children in conventional and non-conventional schools under the Alternate School Programme (ASP).
She expressed optimism that the “passage of the National Social Investment Office Establishment Bill into law will enable effective management of the programme, enhance its impact and ensure its sustainability, hence the need for expedited action.”