Uchendu Alexis
Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has stated her unflinching commitment to working diligently on the ground to improve the lives of Nigerians imprisoned in poverty rather than being limited to her office in Abuja.
She made this known during a two-day visit to Maiduguri, Borno State.
Edu emphasised that municipal governments, at the local level, are where the worst problems with poverty are found.
Dr. Edu stated, “So, it’s going to be a field operation all through for me. I will basically not be found in my office because every day, I will be on the field reaching out to the poorest of the poor. We don’t want to do the Abuja business. We don’t want to do the state business; we want to drop it down all the way to local government so that individuals who are poor can be easily identified and easily supported.”
She further revealed plans to establish humanitarian hubs in all 774 local government areas across Nigeria to address various issues faced by Nigerians through diverse projects.
Dr. Edu also unveiled an ambitious expanded upscale social safety net program targeting at least 15 million households in Nigeria. This program aims to provide funds for starting businesses and supporting individuals in need. Importantly, she stressed that government funds would come with attached criteria, and accountability for the utilization of these funds would be enforced.
The Minister emphasized collaboration with the Borno State government to enhance the social register to encompass more beneficiaries. Presently, the social register includes 15.7 million households and 62 million individuals, but Dr. Edu acknowledged its inadequacy compared to the number of individuals requiring assistance.
To address this, she outlined plans for immediate verification and updating of the social register to ensure that only deserving individuals are included. She assured Nigerians that if verification took place within the next month, the expanded social safety net program would swiftly commence.
Dr. Edu also emphasized the broader objectives of the government, including resettling internally displaced persons and refugees arriving from neighboring countries, highlighting the importance of prevention and collaboration with security agencies and communities to avoid humanitarian crisis.
