Ekiti State Government has set up a Steering Committee on Social Investment to aid the state’s access to relevant funds and programmes of the federal government and other donor agencies.
The Committee, headed by the State’s Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Femi Ajayi and co-chaired by the Special Adviser on Social Investment, Barrister Victor Kolade, is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring Ekiti state is duly enlisted to benefit from Federal Government Social Investment Programmes that will immediately alleviate poverty, empower indigenes at the grassroots and improve the standard of living of the people in the state.
While speaking at the Inaugural Meeting of the Committee in Ado-Ekiti, co-Chairman, Barrister Victor Kolade said that Ekiti state is yet to access one quarter of what is due to her in alleviating poverty of the people due to lack of political will from the immediate past government of the state.
He said that Governor Kayode Fayemi has initiated series of programmes to address the poorest of the poor and vulnerable indigenes in the state, adding that the governor is working in line with the Federal Government’s vision to diversify the economy by tapping into Social Investment opportunities.
The Special Adviser also praised the thinking bank of Ekiti State Government to plug into Social Investment programmes that are geared to outline the current and future pathways of social enterprise development, integrate dynamic opportunity to develop the state’s economy.
Barrister Kolade maintained that the programmes will better the lives 0f the vulnerable segment of the society where Ekiti State is collaborating with the Federal Government initiatives and World Bank assisted programmes that are made available to better the lives of the entire citizenry of the state.
He stated that Social Investment is a key factor amidst the five pillars of Governor Fayemi’s administration which is focused on people development and committed to reinstituting social safety nets to help the vulnerable of the society.
Kolade ended by asserting that Governor Fayemi started the Social Welfare Scheme for the Elderly during his first administration and will build on that to continually help the needy. He called on Ekiti people to join hands with the government in achieving these laudable goals.
Membership of the Steering Committee:
Hon. Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning (Chairman), Special Adviser on Social Investment (Vice-Chairman), Special Adviser on Social Development, Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Finance), Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Budget), Accountant General, Ekiti State Government; Director-General Bureau of Employment, Labour and Productivity; Senior Special Assistant, Home Grown School Feeding; State Coordinator, YESSO; Head, Conditional Cash Transfer; Director, Multilateral Relations; Head, Public Workfare; Women Affairs Focal Person, Education Focal Person and Director of Social Investment Programme (Secretary).
