NORTHERN NIGERIA: Jigawa State GDP hits N2.25trn from NSIP

The Jigawa State Government has announced an increment in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) following a boom in business activities as a result of National Social Investment Programs of the federal government.

Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar made this known at the ManPower Development Institute, Dutse on Thursday, at the flag-off of the Cash Grant for Vulnerable Groups , the On-Boarding of Independent Monitors and launch of Digitized Payment for Conditional Cash Transfer.

The Governor thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the various Social Investment Programmes which have not only impacted the poor and vulnerable in the state but have also skyrocketed the state’s GDP from N1 trillion in 2015 to N2.25 trillion in 2020.

Governor Abubakar said that the National Social investment programmes were life changing opportunities to the people of Jigawa state and promised to assist in monitoring and evaluating the programme to fully harness its potentials.

“We have 25,987 N-Power beneficiaries over the three batches while 167,657 households enjoy the Conditional Cash Transfer of N5,000 monthly or N10,000 every two months. We are feeding 935,000 in our primary schools and because of your contributions to the school feeding programme, we are also feeding primaries 4-6. Jigawa state government is adding a little to make it possible for all the primary school pupils in Jigawa to be fed.

“We have 9, 673 cooks gainfully employed and about 5,000 of our indigenes will get N20,000 as Cash grants for Vulnerable persons. No wonder, the cumulative effects of what the federal government is doing with the anchor borrowers and President Muhammadu Buhari’s call to go back to farming has doubled our GDP from N1 trillion in 2015 to N2.25tr in 2020.

“We have seen a dramatic increase in wealth in our own state, courtesy of these Social Investment Programmes that you are churning out and the Programmes that President Muhammadu Buhari has brought to our door steps including farming activities. We have never had it this good and we are grateful to the federal government”.

While flagging off the programmes, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq announced that 4,537 beneficiaries in the state will receive a one-off cash grant of N20,000.

“Our target in Jigawa State is to disburse the grant to 4,537 beneficiaries across the 27 Local Government Areas and to the poor and vulnerable category across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Using this grant, many of the beneficiaries will improve their productivity and their commercial activity, all of which will help in easing them out of poverty.

“The launch of the Digitized payment exercise is to create room for reliable, transparent and accessible database for seamless disbursement to beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer”.

Minister Umar Farouq charged the beneficiaries to invest the grant in petty businesses which will yield dividends over time.

She also onboarded 80 Independent Monitors who will receive N30,000 monthly.

Earlier during a courtesy visit to Governor Abubakar, the Minister had condoled with the people and government of Jigawa state over the recent flood that washed away buildings and farms of indigenes.

“It is with deep sense of sympathy that I’m here to convey the sympathy of the federal government to the good people of Jigawa state of the recent flood disaster in Hadejia, Kirikisama , Kafin Hausa (Bulangu) Birniwa, Kaugama and Mallam Madori local government areas of Jigawa state.

“The incident is particularly sad because it has become perennial with attendant wide scale destruction of houses, schools, farms, property and means of livelihoods of thousands of persons.

“Let me seek your support to forestall the next round of flooding and ensure that it comes with minimal impact”.

Following an analysis conducted by the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, the following relief items were approved for distribution to the affected persons: 7650 bags of rice, 4550 bags of maize, 6450 bags of Beans, 950 kegs of 20 Itrs vegetable oil, 530 cartons of seasoning, 50 bags of 20 kg salts, 6000 bags of cement, 4400 bundles of roofing sheet, 900 bags of 3″ nails, 1100 packets of zinc nails, 2900 pieces of ceiling board, 5900 pieces of blankets, 5900 pieces of nylon mats.

“The relief items comprising of food, non food items and building materials are meant to complement the efforts of the Jigawa State Government in providing immediate succor to the affected persons and facilitate speedy rehabilitation”, Umar Farouq stated.