FIC Report (Abia State) – The Federal Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, has commenced an advanced Training on Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme ( GEEP 2.0) Digitisation and Registration.
The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) is an initiative by the Federal Government to provide financial inclusion and access to micro-credit for Nigerians and the training was organised for Community Orientation and Mobilization Officers (COMOS) of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), who serve as desks officers of GEEP in the 17 local government areas of Abia State.
Speaking at the opening ceremony held at the State Secretariat of NOA, Umuahia, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajia Umar Farouq represented by Mr. Obinna Osuagwu said that the workshop was designed to train the COMOS on the digital registration of potential beneficiaries.
Farouq said that the Desk Officers are to capture all applicants’ data for validation and selection for Trader Moni, Farmer Moni and Market Moni explaining further that the target beneficiaries for the GEEP monies are the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
The Minister also disclosed that the aim of the programme was to make sure that it met the Federal government’s expected result of lifting one million Nigerians out of poverty.
Earlier in an opening address, Abia State Director Of National Orientation Agency, NOA, Dr. Lady Ngozi Okechukwu appreciated the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, hinting that the programme was among the National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) aimed at tackling poverty and hunger across the country.
According to her, the training is critical and fundamental, as it has the capacity to change the narrative in Nigeria through empowering the less privileged and improving on issues that affects National development.
Dr. Okechukwu who appreciated the Federal Ministry for collaborating with NOA, enjoined the COMOs – GEEPDOs to efficiently and effectively embrace the training to yield the desired results.
Equally, she reminded them that NOA is at the foundation of the programme.
Educating the COMOs – GEEPDOs, the Master Trainer, Mr. Victor Orji, who is also Abia State NOA Deputy Director in charge of Programmes disclosed that GEEP 2.0 programme was designed to give access to credit for poor and vulnerable people including persons with disability, reminding the trainees that Ministry mobilsed the training exercise to acquaint them with the new criteria of registration, the new GEEP digitisation application pre-loaded on the tablets which was presented to them.
According to him, the tablets are to be used for digitisation aimed at seamless programme implementation and to bring the COMOs up to date with the new strategies and requirements for the phase two registration.
Orji said, “The GEEP 2.0 is a loan scheme designed by the Federal Government to provide financial inclusion and give credit access to poor and vulnerable individuals, including Persons With Disability and persons at the bottom of the economic pyramid who are engaged in small scale commercial activities under its three flagship schemes: MarketMoni, TraderMoni and FarmerMoni.
“Tradermoni targets uplifting under-privileged and marginalized youths aged between 18-40 years in Nigeria by providing them with loans of N50,000 while MarketMoni targets under-privileged and marginalized women aged between 18-55 years like Widows, divorcees amongst other vulnerable groups. They get interest-free loans of N50,000 payable within 6-9 months.
”FarmerMoni is for Nigerian farmers aged between 18-55 years in rural areas that operate in the agricultural space. They are provided with loans of up to N300,000 for farming input.
“This scheme has 12 months including 3 months moratorium and 9 months repayment period”.
