FG has spent over $5 billion to combat poverty in Nigeria – Minister

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq stated that the Federal Government had spent more than $5 billion to combat poverty in the country since 2016.

According to the minister, President Muhammadu Buhari has been supporting his goal to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by committing $1 billion through the National Social Investment Programme to combat poverty and inequality since 2016.

She also stated that the data mentioned in the President’s Democracy Day address, claiming that 7.5 million people had been lifted out of poverty, was accurate. Dr. Umar Bindir, the NSIP’s National Coordinator, who spoke on behalf of the minister, said this on Saturday in Yola, during the distribution of letters of engagement and electronic tablets to 248 NSIP monitors in Adamawa.

She said, “I am happy to report to you that every year since 2016, when NSIP was flagged off, Mr President has approved that $1bn be invested into that sector every year (which aggregated is over $5bn).”