We saved 1.3m jobs, will lift 35m people out of poverty – FG

The federal government has said that it has saved over 1.3 million jobs from collapse through its Economic Sustainability Plan programs (ESP), across the country.

It also stated that the recent Nigerian Development Plan for 2021-2025 is set to lift over 35 million Nigerians out of poverty and that it will create 21 million full-time jobs.

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The Minister for State, Ministry of Finance Budget and Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, stated this in Kano, at a town hall engagement with the beneficiaries of the programmes and projects implemented under the ESP at Bristol Palace Hotel.

According to the Minister, ESP was conceptualized by President Muhammadu Buhari to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of a deep recession that the country experienced as a result of the economic shutdown.

He added that the Town Hall meeting was to enable interactions with the beneficiaries of the programmes and projects implemented, as well as to increase citizens and government engagement for enhancing livelihoods and welfare of the citizens.

“The ESP programmes and projects commenced in July 2020 and were scheduled to be completed in one year.

“As of today, it has delivered many positive results particularly in the area of job creation.

“In specific, the ESP has saved about 1.3 million jobs using the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) and payroll support.

“The sum of N250 billion was allocated to support small scale businesses.

“In addition, 774,000 jobs were created through the public works program under the National Directorate of Employment NDE, and 26 021 jobs were generated from construction/rehabilitation of federal roads under federal road maintenance agency, FERMA.”

He described other interventions of the programmes to include 377 kilometres of federal roads, 400 houses for people with concern, and that 129,000 crop farmers and 38,333 animal farmers are being profiled for the dry season farming with N417 billion as loans to boost agriculture.