The federal government has distributed engagement letters and tablets to 300 independent monitors of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) in Bauchi.
Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, inaugurated the distribution in Bauchi, on Monday.
Farouq said that the tablets were enabled with the Social Investment Management Information System (SIMIS), a mobile, web-based application that would be used to monitor the activities of the trained independent monitors.
The Minister added that the application would also enable the ministry to see real time reports of activities of the monitors.
“As you are all aware, the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, with the mandate of lifting citizens out of poverty.
“The programme was moved to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in 2019, following the creation of the ministry.
“The programme is ongoing in the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Out of 5,000 Independent Monitors identified and shortlisted for the training, 4,452 were trained across the country. Today, I am here distributing engagement letters and devices for the trained Independent Monitors.
“These devices are equipped with an application that will be used to report on monitoring activities of the trained independent monitors. We can view reports submitted and see the NSIP performance indicators by state and detect areas of challenges”, she said.
Farouq further disclosed that the trained independent monitors would receive a monthly stipend of 30,000, but only after meeting 80 per cent of their deliverables monthly.
The minister urged the beneficiaries to carry out their assignment with utmost sense of patriotism, diligence and sincerity.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to Governor Bala Mohammed, Amina Katagum on Social investment programme, said the N-SIP was aimed at poverty alleviation in the state.
Katagum appreciated the President for his persistent efforts at fighting poverty and unemployment through the implementation of the NSIP in the country.