The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) says it is partnering with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to strengthen beneficiary identification, promote digital inclusion, and enhance capacity-building for small businesses and farmers.
This is contained in a statement issued by Attari M. Hope, Head of Information and Public Relations at GEEP, on Saturday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the National Programme Manager of GEEP, Mr Hamza Baba, announced the collaboration during courtesy visits to the Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker, and the Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr Charles Odii, in Abuja.
Baba said discussions with NIMC focused on improving beneficiary registration and verification for GEEP’s target groups, including market women, traders, artisans, and smallholder farmers nationwide.
He said GEEP planned to register beneficiaries by occupation and develop a reliable data-sharing and verification mechanism with NIMC to enhance efficiency and minimise fraud.
Responding, Coker reaffirmed NIMC’s readiness to collaborate with GEEP to support beneficiary registration and verification.
“NIMC is committed to a structured partnership that leverages our nationwide platform and field operatives to assist GEEP enumerators and desk officers,” she said.
She explained that the collaboration would ensure all beneficiaries possess valid National Identification Numbers (NIN) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), which would promote transparency and eliminate duplication.
During a separate visit to SMEDAN, Baba and Odii discussed areas of cooperation to boost financial literacy, digital transformation, and business support for micro and small enterprises.
The statement said both agencies identified complementary areas for collaboration, including capacity building for entrepreneurs, digital partnership expansion, and developing joint initiatives for women, youth, and artisans.
They also agreed to link SMEDAN’s Agric Business Development and Empowerment Programme with GEEP’s FarmerMoni scheme to provide technical assistance, market access, and financial empowerment to smallholder farmers.
“Combining SMEDAN’s technical expertise and market networks with GEEP’s financial empowerment tools will amplify impact, drive rural development, and support the Federal Government’s economic growth agenda,” the statement added.
A joint technical committee comprising representatives of GEEP, NIMC, and SMEDAN will be inaugurated to design a framework and roadmap for implementing the partnership under GEEP 3.0, starting with beneficiary registration, verification, and digital support initiatives.
