ISLAMABAD: NOV 27 /DNA/: Syed Imran Ahmad Shah, Minister of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, today commended the National Poverty Graduation Programme (NPGP) as a landmark achievement that has lifted 370,567 vulnerable households out of poverty across Pakistan’s poorest regions.
Presiding over a high-level seminar, Minister Syed Imran Ahmad highlighted the transformative impact of the National Poverty Graduation Program (NPGP), stating it demonstrates how well-designed public programs can lift people out of poverty. To build on this success, the Minister confirmed the government’s commitment to scaling the NPGP model nationwide through the upcoming Islamic Development Bank-supported program, “Poverty Graduation for Extremely Poor and Flood-Affected Households.”
The $132.6 million programme, implemented from 2017 to 2025 in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), provided comprehensive support including productive assets, interest-free loans, and skills training across 21 districts. The initiative specifically targeted Benazir Income Support Programme households, reaching 165,807 families with productive assets and training, while disbursing 304,324 interest-free loans to 204,760 households.
Independent assessment revealed outstanding outcomes where 56% of beneficiaries have graduated from BISP criteria, 80% of supported households have been lifted out of extreme poverty, 179,159 jobs were created, and women empowerment has increased by 48%.
Mr. Navid Ahmed Shaikh, Secretary of MoPASS, emphasized, “NPGP proves that sustainable poverty graduation is achievable through community-driven approaches that focus on women and connect support to skills, finances, and markets.”
Ms. Fernanda Thomaz Da Rocha, IFAD Country Director, affirmed IFAD’s continued partnership, stating, “This programme marks a significant milestone in linking social protection with sustainable livelihoods at scale, effectively lifting communities out of poverty.”
