The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) submitted by the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

The FEC also approved N2.1 billion as facility maintenance fee for the Nigerian Content House in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, and flayed the recent attack on the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Benue State, which claimed the lives of some IDPs.

Briefing journalists after the meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the meeting took note of the worrisome poverty in the country.

According to him, the federal government, concerned by the rising poverty level, has taken a step towards addressing with the council’s approval of the NPRGS.

Adesina said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would chair the steering committee of the new policy to provide guidance for its implementation.

He said FEC also approved the strategy’s incorporation into the medium-term national development plan 2021-2025 and Agenda 2050.

Adesina added that FEC also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to prepare a bill for submission to the National Assembly to make the implementation of the strategy sustainable.

He said:

Let me just appraise us with a conclusion on a draft policy on National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy that was also approved by the Federal Executive Council.

The Presidential Economic Advisory Council had some weeks back submitted the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy to the Federal Executive Council and it was widely debated today, and eventually passed as a conclusion.

And these are some of the things the Federal Executive Council noted the worsening poverty situation in the country and the efforts of the federal government to redress that situation.

It’s not as if government is not aware that there is poverty in the land, but things are being done. One of it is this National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy that was presented today.

The council noted that the president has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the chairman Presidential Economic Advisory Council on the need to come up with a sustainable poverty reduction strategy. And that strategy is what is already codified in this volume and it was widely discussed and passed.

The council noted the contributions of stakeholders, comments and observations made by FEC members on this volume and the presentation of the NPRGS has been duly incorporated into the strategy. They also noted the final articulation of a two-volume, National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, and its major pillars.

The strategy is encapsulated in these two volumes, which you may need to get familiar with the contents of the strategy.

Also at the media briefing, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouk, flayed the incessant attacks on IDPs’ camps.

Speaking against the backdrop of the attack by suspected herdsmen on the Abagana IDP camp in Benue State, which led to the death of seven persons, she called for the beefing up of security around them.

According to her, the ministry is working to alleviate the suffering of the IDPs and facilitate their return to their

Really a very sad development and I’m sure the security agencies are on top of it. What I can say is that there should be enhanced security around these areas where we have these incessant attacks.

For us in the ministry, we do our best to see that these displaced people are being supported and catered for while we work towards returning them back to their communities,

she stated.

On his part, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, said FEC approved a facility maintenance contract for the Nigerian Content House, Yenegoa at the cost of N2.1billion.

He stated that the other memo approved for his ministry was for the operations and maintenance of a 10 megawatts power plant also in Yenagoa.

“Council also graciously approved the operations and maintenance contract for the sum of N712 million for two years. All the contracts that were presented today before the council were for an initial period of two years,” he said.

In his brief, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, said FEC adopted a National Diaspora Policy prepared by the Nigerian Diaspora Commission headed by Hon. Abike Dabiri.

He said:

This policy really is aimed at formalising and giving a structure to the relationship between the country and government and the Nigerians in the diaspora, of which, you know, the 17 or more million Nigerians in the diaspora, and they constitute a very, very important part of the Nigerian community.

This policy aims to promote national development through engagement, constructive engagement with the Nigerians in the diaspora.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.