On Friday, Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, gave a presentation on the Federal Government’s initiative, which is aimed at helping President Bola Tinubu’s 50 million Nigerians escape poverty.
Remember that on Wednesday, President Tinubu declared that during a three-day cabinet retreat for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries, and other high-ranking government employees, ministers will sign a Performance Agreement with him.
While answering questions from State House correspondents during the three-day retreat at the State House Conference Center in Abuja, Edu mentioned that part of it was the continuing N25,000 that is being paid to low-income households in Nigeria through the conditional cash transfer program for the next three months, totaling N75,000.
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The Minister clarified that while though the Program’s immediate goal is to lessen the economic shock that these people are going through due to the elimination of fuel subsidies, it would also help 61 million households escape poverty.
She claims that in order to guarantee that the appropriate individuals receive the funds, the procedure is being followed closely.
According to her, the government is locating the recipients, confirming their identities using their BVNs and NINs, and making sure they are paid.
The Minister made it clear that the government does not want to pay people in haste just to discover later that they do not actually exist.
“So we have a couple of things that have been listed out,” Edu responded when asked about the specifics that will guarantee 50 million Nigerians are lifted out of poverty. First and foremost, as you are aware, poor households in Nigeria are receiving a continuing payment of N25,000, and this will continue for three months, totaling N75,000.
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“At this point, the economic shock that these households are going through is being immediately mitigated. But we’re taking our time through the arduous procedure. The rationale is straightforward: We want to make sure that the correct individuals receive the funds, that we can identify them, that they have paid, and that they have their BVNs and NINs. We don’t want to pay somebody right away only to find out later that they don’t actually exist.⁎
“We went through the verification process for that reason, and payments have begun. Several states in the nation can vouch for this. as well as individual low-income homes. Furthermore, this will be made public, so it isn’t even a secret. public in order for Nigerians to hold us responsible. ⁎
“This equates to around 61 million people because there are 15 million households. In addition, the President will employ various strategies to generate employment opportunities for millions of Nigerians. Among other people, we offer market women, minor traders, and markets zero-interest loans. “We’re also helping impoverished farmers,” In addition to a number of other projects, we are joining the End Hunger Project and the Good Nigeria Project. Additionally, the targeted population for each of these programs is the same as the population that our social safety net initiatives aim to serve. “We have the people who want to reach, and when all of these people come together, we’ll have a way to directly reach over 50 million people through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.”
In order to solve the complex problem of poverty in Nigeria, the Minister further emphasized the significance of cooperation between her ministry and other ministries.
According to her, there are several aspects to poverty, and some people become impoverished as a result of not having access to work, good healthcare, or education. She gave her word that in order to help Nigerians escape this multifaceted poverty, her ministry is working with the ministries of finance, health, education, and agriculture, among others.
Edu commented, “So we’re running as a team,” when asked how her ministry will work in concert with other ministries to address health care and high-quality education as a way to combat poverty. It is a multifaceted problem that has been resolved. Recall that poverty has multiple dimensions. Thus, some people are impoverished as a result of not having access to education.
Some people lack access to high-quality healthcare because they are impoverished. Some people lack access to jobs, which makes them impoverished.
It is hence multidimensional. And in an effort to help Nigerians escape this multifaceted poverty, our ministry is working in tandem with the ministries of finance, health, education, and agriculture, among others.
“It has been very informative, especially as it concerns administration, governance, leadership, and actually managing the affairs of government at this level,” Edu stated while discussing the retreat’s effects. This has proven to be highly helpful for many people in determining the government’s agenda. “Today, Wednesday, the President made a very clear statement, saying that we will all sign the bond in order to meet our goals.” He is introducing the Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to, among other things, assist millions of Nigerians in obtaining employment, ensuring food security, eradicating poverty, ensuring good governance, combating corruption, and ensuring the rule of law is upheld. ⁎
Making sure that all of these foot soldiers are ready to go to work is what matters most. We have been tasked with a massive duty in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, which is to make every effort to fulfill the government’s directives and deliverables. ⁎
“Our deliverables have been clearly stated. Additionally, we are endorsing the bond. And to make sure we deliver and succeed, the whole staff of the ministry and the agencies under its supervision would be on the road. This task will not be simple. As an A-class leader, Mr. President bears great responsibility for the goals he has set for Nigerians. There is much hope. And he won’t give up. We won’t give up. Nigeria won’t fail as a nation. ⁎
“We’re already headed in the right direction for improvements. We kindly request Nigerians to cooperate, have a little patience, and comprehend their government and its policies. We would be honest, responsible, and relentless in our efforts to take the Renewed Hope Agenda through to completion.
