Plans have been outlined by the Akwa Ibom State Government to implement intervention programs for 600 households listed in its Social Register. The main objective is to alleviate economic difficulties being faced within the state.
During a media briefing in Uyo tagged ARISE Score Card, focusing on “Food Sufficiency and Security: The Intervention and Sustainability Strategy of Governor Umo Eno,” the State Commissioner of Economic Development, Mr. Emem Bob, shared this information with journalists on Monday.
Accompanying him at the briefing were the commissioner of information and strategy, Mr. Ini Ememobong, the commissioner of agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor, and the chairman of Akwa Ibom Bulk Purchase Agency, Mr. Dan Akpan.
Emem mentioned that despite the addition of 2.3 million people to the state social register, the government’s focus is on assisting the most vulnerable among them, specifically the 600 households identified in the social register.
According to Bob, “The social register employs a well-structured approach, segmented into villages, wards, and local governments, all composing the state social register. We currently have 2.3 million individuals enlisted in the social register.
“Regarding households, we have 600 households in the social register, which serve as the beneficiaries of various interventions within the state,” Bob explained.
He further clarified that the selection process for inclusion in the social register is transparent and has been in operation for the past 8 years. Governor Umo Eno instructed an expansion of the register to encompass those who have fallen below the poverty line
“The selection process for the social register is transparent and community-based. In collaboration with the National Social Safety Nets Coordinator unit in Abuja, our state-organizing coordination units operate at the local government level, engaging with villages and village heads to identify those in need,” Bob elaborated.
During the briefing, the commissioner of agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor, emphasized the state government’s efforts in implementing multiple intervention programs to enhance food production and lower food prices.
Encouraging people to heed the governor’s call to return to farming, Offor urged farmers to establish cooperative groups for enhanced support.
She highlighted, “Governor Umo Eno’s administration places great importance on food sustainability. The merging of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development was intentional, as the cooperative system is a global driver of food productivity.”
The information commissioner, in opening the briefing, expressed gratitude towards Eno for the government’s assortment of intervention programs aimed at addressing the prevailing hardships within the state.