FG Launches GEEP 2.0 With 4,144 Beneficiaries In Abia

The Federal Government has launched the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0) in Abia State to assist the poor and vulnerable persons.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, launched the national phase of the programme in Umuahia recently.
The Minister, represented by the Director, Special Needs in the ministry, Mrs Nkechi Onwukwe, said the programme was designed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to cater for the vulnerable and low-income Nigerians.
According to her, it is meant for those who are involved in some commercial activities but had no access to loans.
She said the programme was meant to give priority to the most vulnerable in society, such as widows, youth, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
“GEEP is captured in three signature schemes namely, the TraderMoni loan of N50,000 for the under-privileged and marginalised youths between 18 and 40 years; MarketMoni, an empowerment programme designed for under-privileged and marginalised women and vulnerable groups; and FarmerMoni loan scheme, designed to provide agricultural inputs worth upto N300,000 to rural farmers”, the Minister said.
Farouq said at least 20,722 potential beneficiaries were registered in the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia.
She said 4,144 of them were selected after verification, adding that the beneficiaries will start receiving credit alert from Access Bank with the inauguration of the programme in the State.
According to her, the programme was a consolidation of the National Social Investment Programme of the present administration.
The Tide’s source reports that the Federal Government also launched the disbursement of grants of N20,000 each to 3,107 beneficiaries across the 17 council areas under its Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG) programme.