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Hamza Ibrahim Baba, the newly appointed National Programme Manager of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), has wasted no time in setting his agenda into motion.

In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr. Baba undertook key courtesy visits on Tuesday, June 3, to initiate strategic partnerships that will expand the reach and impact of GEEP initiatives nationwide.

Mr. Baba’s first stop was at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, where he met with the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaibe Said.

The meeting focused on forging a collaborative framework to empower grassroots women through the Trader Moni scheme—one of the flagship programmes under GEEP. The initiative seeks to provide accessible microcredit to informal sector traders, many of whom are women operating small-scale businesses across Nigeria.

Dr. Said praised the initiative and welcomed the partnership as a timely and meaningful intervention. She noted that empowering women in underserved communities directly supports educational advancement and socioeconomic stability, echoing the broader goals of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Shortly after, Mr. Baba proceeded to the headquarters of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), where he met with the Director-General, His Excellency Silas Agara. Their discussions centered on joint strategies to support vulnerable populations, promote entrepreneurship, and create sustainable livelihoods through GEEP’s various financial empowerment programs.

H.E. Agara lauded Mr. Baba’s early and active outreach efforts, emphasizing that such inter-agency collaboration is vital for optimizing the impact of social investment programmes. “This kind of synergy is what we need to effectively tackle unemployment and poverty at the grassroots level,” Agara stated.

Both the Minister of State for Education and the Director-General of the NDE expressed strong support for Mr. Baba’s proactive engagement and affirmed their commitment to partnering with NSIPA to achieve shared goals. The visits, described as both strategic and symbolic, underscore Mr. Baba’s readiness to deliver on the mandate of GEEP with renewed energy and purposeful collaboration.

These developments mark a significant step in aligning federal social investment efforts with the real needs of citizens, particularly those historically excluded from financial services.

As GEEP under Mr. Baba’s leadership gains momentum, stakeholders anticipate a more inclusive and impactful rollout of empowerment initiatives across the country.

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