By Peter Omopo
The Federal Government has unveiled the Renewed Hope Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (RHGEEP 3.0), a redesigned financial inclusion initiative aimed at providing affordable credit to five million Nigerians by 2027.
Speaking at the national stakeholders’ roundtable in Abuja on Thursday, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Badamasi Lawal, said the new phase marks a “recalibration” of the scheme to prioritize trust, consistency, and accountability.
“This gathering reflects our collective commitment to deepen financial inclusion, expand access to credit for small businesses, and empower our people, particularly women, youth, artisans, petty traders, and smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of Nigeria’s informal economy,” Lawal stated.
The scheme, first introduced under the National Social Investment Programmes, has in earlier phases provided micro-credit through initiatives such as TraderMoni, MarketMoni, and FarmerMoni. According to Lawal, these programmes helped grow micro-enterprises, restore dignity, and create opportunities for Nigerians excluded from formal financial systems.
He explained that RHGEEP 3.0 goes beyond continuation, representing a deliberate shift in approach.
“RHGEEP 3.0 is a recalibration. It is anchored on rebuilding trust with beneficiaries, ensuring fairness and equity in access, and strengthening accountability, especially in repayment obligations,” he said.
The NSIPA boss noted that lessons from GEEP 1.0 and 2.0 highlighted the need to improve transparency, enhance repayment systems, expand digital inclusion through fintech partnerships, and deepen collaboration with state and local governments.
He commended the National Programme Manager of GEEP, alongside technical partners System Strategy and Policy Lab and Sydani Group, for their role in shaping the new strategy.
Lawal stressed that the programme’s success would depend on partnerships between government, financial institutions, civil society, and effective communication with the public.
“This administration, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, recognises both the urgency and the opportunity to transform GEEP into a more accountable, impactful, and sustainable intervention,” he added.
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