August 21, 2025 – The Federal Government has officially launched the third phase of its Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, known as Renewed Hope GEEP (RHGEEP 3.0), with a target of five million beneficiaries 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, anchored on 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,” he said.
He explained that the roundtable was convened to formally launch the strategy for RH GEEP 3.0, under the theme “Building Trust, Strengthening Transparency, and Scaling Impact through Financial Inclusion.”
According to him, the programme was not just about policy but about addressing access to affordable credit for underserved Nigerians.
Lawal highlighted that the programme, which started under the National Social Investment Programmes, was designed to provide micro-credit and financial support to millions at the base of the economic pyramid.
He recalled that through schemes such as TraderMoni, MarketMoni, and FarmerMoni, GEEP has helped expand micro-enterprises, restore dignity, and offer opportunities to those excluded from formal financial systems.
While acknowledging the progress made under GEEP 1.0 and 2.0, the NSIPA boss stressed that RHGEEP 3.0 represents a deliberate shift. “Distinguished stakeholders, RHGEEP 3.0 is not a mere continuation; it is a recalibration. It represents a conscious shift in how we approach microcredit, anchored on: trust, re-establishing confidence with beneficiaries, the wider public, and stakeholders; consistency, ensuring equity in access and fairness in process; and accountability, clear enforcement of obligations, particularly repayment. Our goal is to reach five million beneficiaries by 2027, with a strong and positive repayment culture. This is ambitious, but it is achievable if we work in alignment,” he stated.
He added that lessons from earlier phases show the need to strengthen transparency and accountability, improve repayment mechanisms, expand digital inclusion through fintech partnerships, and deepen collaboration with state and local governments.
Lawal commended the National Programme Manager of GEEP and his team, as well as technical partners System Strategy and Policy Lab and Sydani Group, for their role in shaping the new strategy.
He said the success of RHGEEP 3.0 would depend on strong partnerships between government, financial institutions, and civil society, alongside effective communication with the public.
“This administration, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, recognises both the urgency and the opportunity to transform GEEP into a more accountable, impactful, and sustainable intervention,” he added.