FG unfolds N248.64 billion grassroot economic empowerment initiative
Font size:
The scheme, Community Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (CEEDS) is a
four year rural development and poverty reduction plan of the government as well as an effort to integrate grassroots planning into the government’s development plans. The initiative is expected to be funded under the proposed National Solidarity (NSF) Fund mechanism.
At the presentation of the four-year CEEDS draft to federal ministries, departments and agencies in Abuja, Mohammed Sanusi Daggash, minister of national planning commission said the government through this programme targets to lift about 30 million Nigerians out of poverty by the end of 2011 consequent upon its full implementation.
The NSF mechanism would house contributions and budgetary provisions from the three tiers of government, communities and ‘others’ at a ratio of 40:20:5:1:34. This means that the Federal Government is expected to contribute up to 40 percent of the total cost to the tune of N99.456 billion; the state; N49.728 billion or 20 percent of the total; while the local governments take up five percent amounting to N12.432 billion and communities just one percent or N2.4864 billion.
The 34 percent balance or N84.5376 billion or the ‘resources gap’ would be sourced from development partners, private sector, Nigerians in Diaspora, concerned citizens, foreign governments, faith-based organisations, labour unions, media houses, grants, donations and credits.
The projected resource requirement for the strategy was based on the absorptive capacity of the economy, as evident from the pilot tests conducted in 12 states and the new holistic approach adopted that requires about five capital projects to be undertaken simultaneously in each of the 8,288 communities in the country at an average cost of N25 million each.
This, according to the minister, translates to transformation of about 224 communities per state in the next four years, at the rate of 52 communities per annum. He said that NSF which has contributed to over 50 percent poverty reduction in countries like Tunisia and some provinces of China in less than three years was designed to harness contributions from all avenues either in cash or kind to bridge the remaining resource gap.
Daggash acknowledged that community-driven development is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. However what is lacking is an integrated framework to anchor and direct all the interventions appropriately so as to optimise their benefits.
In this light, he noted the uniqueness of CEEDS in four main respects especially the fact that it is the country’s first attempt at grassroots planning. Secondly, the strategy bestows on the communities direct control of their lives and their environment as they would largely drive the process and manage the outcome.
Thirdly, CEEDS is the first data-based and issue-based comprehensive rural development plan in Nigeria as well as the only plan with an in-built funding mechanism that would guaratree its success. “This takes care of inadequate resources and delay in release of budgetary allocations that has been the bane of development planning in Nigeria”, the minister said.
four year rural development and poverty reduction plan of the government as well as an effort to integrate grassroots planning into the government’s development plans. The initiative is expected to be funded under the proposed National Solidarity (NSF) Fund mechanism.
At the presentation of the four-year CEEDS draft to federal ministries, departments and agencies in Abuja, Mohammed Sanusi Daggash, minister of national planning commission said the government through this programme targets to lift about 30 million Nigerians out of poverty by the end of 2011 consequent upon its full implementation.
The NSF mechanism would house contributions and budgetary provisions from the three tiers of government, communities and ‘others’ at a ratio of 40:20:5:1:34. This means that the Federal Government is expected to contribute up to 40 percent of the total cost to the tune of N99.456 billion; the state; N49.728 billion or 20 percent of the total; while the local governments take up five percent amounting to N12.432 billion and communities just one percent or N2.4864 billion.
The 34 percent balance or N84.5376 billion or the ‘resources gap’ would be sourced from development partners, private sector, Nigerians in Diaspora, concerned citizens, foreign governments, faith-based organisations, labour unions, media houses, grants, donations and credits.
The projected resource requirement for the strategy was based on the absorptive capacity of the economy, as evident from the pilot tests conducted in 12 states and the new holistic approach adopted that requires about five capital projects to be undertaken simultaneously in each of the 8,288 communities in the country at an average cost of N25 million each.
This, according to the minister, translates to transformation of about 224 communities per state in the next four years, at the rate of 52 communities per annum. He said that NSF which has contributed to over 50 percent poverty reduction in countries like Tunisia and some provinces of China in less than three years was designed to harness contributions from all avenues either in cash or kind to bridge the remaining resource gap.
Daggash acknowledged that community-driven development is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. However what is lacking is an integrated framework to anchor and direct all the interventions appropriately so as to optimise their benefits.
In this light, he noted the uniqueness of CEEDS in four main respects especially the fact that it is the country’s first attempt at grassroots planning. Secondly, the strategy bestows on the communities direct control of their lives and their environment as they would largely drive the process and manage the outcome.
Thirdly, CEEDS is the first data-based and issue-based comprehensive rural development plan in Nigeria as well as the only plan with an in-built funding mechanism that would guaratree its success. “This takes care of inadequate resources and delay in release of budgetary allocations that has been the bane of development planning in Nigeria”, the minister said.
Add to:
del.icio.us |
Digg
del.icio.us |
Digg
Email to a friend
Print version
Plain text
Comments ( posted):
Post your comment