The sum of N500billion is spent annually on National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) by the Federal Government.

This was disclosed, on Monday, by the Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, at the 60th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society, in Abuja.

He said the Federal Government was committed to grassroots development and has shown this by investing N500 billion annually since 2016 in the national social investment programme.

“In order to create a more inclusive society that enhances the quality of life. The government has continued to implement the social investment programme.

“The sum of N500billion has been appropriated annually for the scheme since 2016. This reflects the continued determination of the government to pursue an inclusive society and achieve growth. Policies such as the n-power scheme have seen 500,000 graduates and 26,000 others engaged.

“Under the national home-grown school feeding program, as of March 2019 over 9.5million school children across 30states are being fed and over 1913 cooks empowered,” Agba said.

The Minister added that government enterprise and empowerment program has seen to the disbursement of N1.71million loans to small businesses and farmers across the 36 states and the FCT.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration launched the Social Investment Programmes to address poverty through the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), conditional cash transfer and N-Power. (Channels TV)