Latest news with #povertyReduction
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sask. Opposition trumpets report criticizing social assistance programs
Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP says the provincial government needs to rethink its Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) program after a new report found that some users feel the service failed to meet their basic needs. "We need to fix SIS urgently," said NDP social services critic Brent Blakley at a news conference Tuesday. For the report, the Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Partnership spoke with 35 users of the SIS or Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) programs, along with 55 community service providers who often work with people using these programs. The survey found "widespread dissatisfaction and significant gaps in meeting basic needs," according to the report. Many of the people reported that the benefits these programs provide are not adequate to support basic needs, such as rent for housing, food and utilities. Many also pointed to a concern over financial pressures placed on income support clients. The chief issue raised was a call for the province to reinstate direct payments for rent and utilities to landlords and utility companies, an issue that has been raised continuously since the change away from that system, according to the report. "The SIS program, designed to help people in crisis is now pushing them over the edge. We've heard from shelters, from housing workers, from community agencies they move away from direct payment has failed," Blakely said. In a statement, Social Services Minister Terry Jenson defended the government's changes to the SIS program. Jenson said the ministry does directly pay rent and utilities, "for Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) clients who require it." He also noted that the SIS monthly benefit has increased four years in a row, with the most recent increase if two per cent coming into effect in May as part of the most recent provincial budget. Critics have said that increase is not nearly enough to assist those living on the edge of poverty. Homelessness in Saskatoon The NDP also drew a line between support for those in poverty and the growing number of homeless people in Saskatoon. The latest point-in-time count in the city found that on a particular day in 2024, there were 1,499 people experiencing homelessness. That's nearly nearly triple the number reported in 2022. "This isn't just a number. These are people, families, seniors, youth sleeping in cars, in tents or on the street and this didn't happen overnight. It's the direct result of government choices," said NDP housing critic April ChiefCalf. ChiefCalf said the province has allowed housing costs to rapidly increase while refusing to fix vacant housing units owned by the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation. That's left thousands of units across the province damaged and empty, Chiefcalf said. A report by the provincial auditor released last year found the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation owned approximately 3,000 units in Regina. The report said that of the 534 units vacant in the province's capital, 364 were out of service and needing repair. At that same time, 404 households were waiting for social housing units. Minister Jenson said this year's provincial budget will begin to address the issue of provincial-owned housing, with $9.2 million in spending going to multi-year repair and renovation projects to 285 Saskatchewan Housing Corporation units, including 44 units at Westview Place in Saskatoon.
Zawya
08-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
FG signs financing pact for $158mln value chain programme in Northern Nigeria
The Federal Government has signed a $158.15 million financing agreement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to launch the Value Chain Programme in Northern Nigeria (VCN), an ambitious initiative aimed at transforming the agricultural sector and improving the livelihoods of over 3.1 million rural dwellers. The eight-year programme, co-funded by IFAD, the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Nigerian government, targets nine northern states—Borno, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara—with interventions focused on value addition, food security, and poverty reduction. The signing ceremony, held Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was witnessed by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who described the programme as a strategic intervention aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. 'This is an investment of faith in the North—not as a region of deficits, but one of abundance,' Shettima declared. 'The VCN is a declaration of our promise to reduce poverty, nourish our people, and restore dignity to Nigeria's farming families.' He noted that the programme would complement the recently launched Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), serving as a pipeline for quality raw materials and boosting the export of value-added goods. The VP also highlighted the programme's inclusive focus, targeting underserved groups—women, youth, persons with disabilities, and returnees—while leveraging digital tools for transparency and impact tracking across the agricultural value chain. Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, who spoke on behalf of the National Assembly, pledged legislative support to ensure the programme's success, calling it 'a transformative step for rural Nigeria.' Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, described the initiative as a milestone in Nigeria's quest to revamp its agricultural sector, noting that the partnership with sub-nationals underscores a shared commitment to inclusive growth. Also speaking, IFAD Country Director, Mrs Dede Ekoue, said the project aims to boost climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest value addition, financial inclusion, and job creation—with over 30,000 jobs projected and 229 km of access roads to be constructed. Governors of Borno, Jigawa, and Katsina states, along with deputy governors from other beneficiary states, pledged their commitment to the programme and urged implementers to consider adjusting timelines for optimal benefit. The highlight of the event was the signing of a Joint Roadmap for Accelerated Start-up between the federal government and IFAD. Also in attendance were members of the National Assembly, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Hon. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, IFAD's Regional Director Mr. Bernard Mwinyel Hien, and other development partners.
