The Federal Government on Thursday announced plans to enrol five million new beneficiaries under the third phase of its Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, known as Renewed Hope GEEP (RHGEEP 3.0).
Badamasi Lawal, National Coordinator and Chief Executive of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, disclosed this at a national stakeholders’ roundtable in Abuja. He explained that the recalibrated programme emphasises trust, accountability, and consistency.
The new phase, flagged off in Abuja, is designed to broaden financial inclusion and expand empowerment initiatives, particularly for women and youth, with a target of reaching five million Nigerians by 2027.
According to Lawal, RHGEEP 3.0 will integrate schemes such as the Circular Economy Youth Empowerment Initiative (CEYEI), aimed at creating green jobs, and the Labour, Employment, and Empowerment Programme (LEEP), which will focus on skills development and job creation.
“Today’s roundtable has been convened to formally launch the strategy for RHGEEP 3.0, under the theme: Building Trust, Strengthening Transparency, and Scaling Impact through Financial Inclusion,” he said.
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He noted that the initiative builds on lessons from earlier phases of GEEP, stressing the need to strengthen transparency and accountability, improve repayment mechanisms, expand digital inclusion through fintech partnerships, and deepen collaboration with state and local governments.
Lawal described RHGEEP 3.0 as “not a mere continuation but a recalibration”, anchored on three key principles:
Trust: Re-establishing confidence with beneficiaries, the wider public, and stakeholders.
Consistency: Ensuring equity in access and fairness in process.
Accountability: Enforcing obligations, particularly around repayment.
“Our goal is to reach five million beneficiaries by 2027, with a strong and positive repayment culture. This is ambitious but achievable if we work in alignment,” he said.
The programme, which began under the National Social Investment Programmes, was originally designed to provide micro-credit and financial support to Nigerians at the base of the economic pyramid. Through schemes such as TraderMoni, MarketMoni, and FarmerMoni, it has helped to expand micro-enterprises and offer opportunities to those excluded from the formal financial system.
Lawal also commended the National Programme Manager of GEEP and his team, alongside technical partners System Strategy and Policy Lab and Sydani Group, for their role in shaping the new strategy.
He stressed that the success of RHGEEP 3.0 would hinge on strong partnerships between government, financial institutions, civil society, and effective public communication.
