From tailoring to modern school ownership

By: Auwal Muazu

SOME of the most developmental challenges militating against the progress of developing nations are ravaging poverty, inequality and socioeconomic imbalances, among others. In fact, these challenges have continued to hinder human capital development which unarguably impact negatively on the wheel of progress of developing nations and ultimately pose existential threat on them. Against this backdrop, in the race for socio-economic development between developed and developing nations, individual countries through their various forms and systems of governments have continued to initiate policies, programmes and put other measures in place to check the devastating negative effects of poverty and socioeconomic imbalances among their citizenry with a view to bringing about the desired impetus for rapid socioeconomic development in order to accelerate national development in every sphere of human endeavor. In line with this race for socioeconomic development by nations, Nigeria is not left out as various administrations at different times have attempted to end poverty and engender socioeconomic balance among the citizenry through various policies, programmes and initiatives. Notable is the recent programme initiated by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which seeks to address immediate and long-term socioeconomic imbalance and inequalities, alleviate poverty and to stimulate accelerated economic growth.

Arguably, the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) can be said to be the highest and the most expansive social protection and poverty eradication programme put in place by any government in Nigeria in recent times. It is organised to provide safety nets in order to address the immediate and long-term socioeconomic challenges faced by the poor and the vulnerable in the country with a view to changing their lives for the better and to enhance their human development capacity for overall accelerated national development. Established in 2016, the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which is domiciled with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social development, has continued to serve as the most readily available and accessible social safety net for millions of Nigerians who benefited and continue to benefit directly and indirectly from different clusters of the programme such as the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and the N-Power. Many of such beneficiaries who were hitherto poor or limited in the exploit of their potential have their lives changed through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT).Many now own small businesses, thus improving their quality of life significantly. In the same vein, the NSIP through the N-Power programme has impacted positively on the lives of many Nigerians, especially the youth who direly needed a push to actualize their dream and unleash their potential.

The N-Power programme is designed to provide Nigeria’s teeming youth with learning opportunities and job experience, as well as income for startups for economic transformation initiatives with a view to harnessing their potential for a more meaningful and transformative life in order to contribute to national development. A classical example of the transformative NSIP beneficiary is that of Ternege Zambey, whose domestic and economic lifestyles were changed for the better by the FG’s N-Power programme. In an exclusive interview featured on the NSIP’s official YouTubepage Better Life Ng, the Makurdi-based professional tailor gave account of how the N-Power programme turned around his fortune from an ordinary tailor to a proud owner of a modern tailoring school.

According to Zambey, prior to his enrolment into the N-Power programme, he had a single manual sewing machine, but “in the course of the programme, I used the stipend given to me and scaled up my business with the acquisition of industrial sewing machines as well as the purchase of other necessary things needed for the business”. He revealed that “in the course of the programme, I learnt how to do a good business plan and that enabled me to apply for the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, and I was successful because I was selected among the few at the end of the programme, and that has increased the capacity of the business to the next level where I have industrial sewing machines and other modern sewing equipment with me”. An excited Zambey did not hide his joy and elation as he expressed gratitude at the NSIP’s intervention in his business life, noting that “I really benefitted from this programme. If not for this programme, I wouldn’t have achieved what I achieved now”.

Indeed, the story and experience of Zambey depict the very essence of the NSIP, where the poor and the less-privileged are lifted from grass to grace. Imagine the absence of N-Power intervention in the business life of Zambey. Indeed, the absence of such intervention would have eluded him of his dream to own a modern tailoring school equipped with modern machines and other accessories for modern tailoring business. In the same manner, that would have denied him the opportunity to exploit his potential. Ternege, now a modern tailoring school owner, is one of the over one million Nigerians who are directly benefitting from the Federal Government’s N-Power programme and are contributing to the socioeconomic development and growth of the nation. It is hoped that the NSIP programmes are sustained and fine-tuned where necessary in order for Nigeria to compete favorably in the global race for national development.

• Muazu, a current affair analyst, writes in from Kubwa, Abuja