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The National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) has called for a major transformation of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) to make it more accountable, impactful, and sustainable in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of NSIPA, Assoc. Prof. Badamasi Lawal, made the call during the Stakeholders’ Roundtable on the Renewed Hope Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (RHGEEP 3.0) held in Abuja. He was represented at the event by the Acting National Programme Manager of N-POWER, Mr. Nsikak Okon.

Badamasi explained that while GEEP has recorded notable success in providing financial inclusion and economic opportunities through its MarketMoni, TraderMoni, and FarmerMoni schemes, there is a pressing need to redesign the programme to achieve deeper impact.

“I am confident that today’s deliberations will yield concrete outcomes that will not only strengthen RHGEEP 3.0 but also advance our national goals of poverty reduction, economic empowerment, and sustainable development,” he said.

According to him, GEEP 1.0 and 2.0 laid an important foundation, but RHGEEP 3.0 must go further by ensuring transparency and accountability, improving repayment structures, expanding digital inclusion through fintech partnerships, and working more closely with state and local governments. He described the new phase as “a recalibration rather than a continuation,” focused on restoring confidence among beneficiaries, ensuring fairness in access, and enforcing repayment to secure sustainability.

Earlier in his welcome address, the National Programme Manager for GEEP, Mr. Hamza Baba, reaffirmed the programme’s mission of expanding access to interest-free loans to small traders and farmers.

“As part of measures to renew trust and build a sustainable RHGEEP 3.0, I visited Kaduna, Kano and Lagos to meet market leadership and beneficiaries of previous GEEP cycles,” Baba revealed. “State Programme Managers in Imo, Cross River, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara have also carried out sensitisation exercises to identify authentic small-holder traders and secure cooperation on repayment.”

He noted that the roundtable provided a platform for stakeholders to share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and develop practical strategies to ensure that interventions deliver measurable benefits to households and communities.

“Together, we can ensure that financial inclusion is not just a policy aspiration, but a lived reality for every farmer, every trader, and every Nigerian striving for a better future,” Baba added.

The roundtable brought together policymakers, financiers, market leaders, and community stakeholders to chart a new course for the Renewed Hope GEEP 3.0, with a strong emphasis on accountability, sustainability, and inclusive growth.