Mr. Hamza Baba, Programme Manager, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program (GEEP) convenes a strategic meeting with Mr. Trond Jensen, Representative, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) in Nigeria.
The meeting focused on identifying areas of collaboration between the two agencies to enhance support for vulnerable communities across the nation.
Mr. Jensen provided an overview of UN-OCHA’s mandate, highlighting its vital role in coordinating international humanitarian responses and advocating for the needs of crisis-affected populations.
In response, Mr. Hamza shared insights into GEEP’s core objectives under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
A statement by NSIPA Head of Communication and Public Relations, Mr. Monday Attari said Mr. Baba articulated GEEP’s mission being to promote financial inclusion and empower underserved groups.
He listed others under the programme mandate of NSIPA to include smallholder farmers, petty traders, artisans, and youth who are to be assisted with microcredit initiatives like Tradermoni, Marketmoni, and Farmermoni.
He also outlined GEEP’s decentralized implementation structure, emphasizing transparency in beneficiary identification, disbursement, and recovery processes. Mr. Hamza announced plans to launch the Renewed Hope GEEP 3.0 initiative in July, aimed at expanding the program’s impact.
Key Areas of Collaboration
Mr. Baba listed key areas for potential collaboration between GEEP and UN-OCHA to include:
• Funding Support: Expanding GEEP’s reach through financial assistance.
• Capacity Building: Providing training for program staff and implementing partners to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Community Outreach: Strengthening awareness and mobilization through joint advocacy initiatives.
• Technical Assistance: Leveraging innovation to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.Both parties expressed optimism about future engagements and committed to ongoing discussions to formalize a framework for collaboration that aligns with national development and humanitarian priorities.
“This initial engagement marks a significant step towards enhancing synergy between social protection and humanitarian interventions for vulnerable communities across Nigeria,” Mr. Attari said.
