Enugu Government has empowered 520 vulnerable persons with grinding machines across 260 wards in a major empowerment initiative to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.
The Enugu State Government has empowered 520 vulnerable persons with grinding machines in a major poverty reduction initiative aimed at improving livelihoods, promoting self-reliance and boosting economic activities across the state.
The beneficiaries, drawn from the 260 political wards across the 17 Local Government Areas, received the machines during an empowerment programme organised by the Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Eradication in Enugu on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Speaking at the event on behalf of Governor Peter Mbah, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the intervention reflected the administration’s commitment to human capital development and poverty eradication.
Onyia said the government had set a target of reducing Enugu State’s poverty headcount index from 58 per cent to zero, adding that the distribution of grinding machines was among several initiatives designed to improve the economic independence of vulnerable residents.
He explained that the administration’s development agenda extended beyond infrastructure projects such as roads, schools and hospitals to include direct support for disadvantaged citizens.
According to him, beneficiaries were selected using clearly defined socio-economic indicators to ensure that the intervention reached households that genuinely needed assistance.
“What you are experiencing today is just one of the interventions put in place to ensure that vulnerable persons develop skills and use the equipment for productive economic activities.
“The aim is to enable them to generate income and have more disposable revenue to improve their quality of life,” Onyia said.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Budget and Planning had established a monitoring mechanism to track the use of the equipment and ensure that beneficiaries deployed them for productive purposes.
The SSG cautioned recipients against selling the machines, emphasising that the equipment was provided to promote self-sufficiency rather than for resale.
He added that the empowerment programme would be sustained, with beneficiaries expected to benefit from other interventions, including agricultural inputs, digital skills training and support across relevant sectors.
Onyia further assured that the government would continue to rely on data to plan, monitor and evaluate its programmes to ensure measurable outcomes.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedette Okoli, said the programme was organised to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Poor.
Okoli explained that two vulnerable persons from each of the state’s 260 political wards were selected to receive the grinding machines.
She attributed the intervention to Governor Mbah’s approval and commitment to improving the welfare of poor and vulnerable citizens.
The commissioner described the machines as economic empowerment tools that would enable beneficiaries to engage in productive activities, generate income and provide for their families.
She said the beneficiaries were selected from the Enugu State Social Register of the Poor and Vulnerable, compiled by the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU).
According to her, the selection process was transparent and based on established criteria, without political considerations, favouritism or personal connections.
Okoli assured the recipients that the ministry would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to monitor the programme and provide the necessary support to ensure sustainable benefits.
Also speaking, the State Coordinator of SOCU, Mrs Joy-Blossom Eneh, represented by the Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Christopher Nnam, commended the governor for supporting the use of the state’s social register in identifying vulnerable households.
Nnam said the register provided an evidence-based approach to selecting beneficiaries and ensuring that government interventions reached those most in need.
He disclosed that SOCU had captured 586 beneficiaries, including indigent persons and petty traders, for various government interventions.
He described the grinding machine distribution as evidence that the administration’s commitment to using the social register was producing tangible results.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ndidamaka Ejiri from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area expressed appreciation to the state government, saying the equipment would significantly improve their household income.
“I thank Gov. Peter Mbah for this gesture. Come 2027, my vote belongs to him, and I promise to put the equipment into productive use to help myself and my family,” she said.
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