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Tag: Dr. Betta Edu

  • Riyadh Summit: Edu Express Optimism That Saudi Investment Would Create Jobs for Nigeria

    Riyadh Summit: Edu Express Optimism That Saudi Investment Would Create Jobs for Nigeria

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has expressed optimism that
    Saudi Investment in Nigeria will provide job opportunities and life millions of vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty.

    Edu said this at the Ssudi- Africa Investment Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Edu who joined the Presidential delegation to Saudi Arabia said Nigeria was poised to end multi-dimensional poverty by the year 2030 through the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.

    She noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s determination to reduce humanitarian crises and poverty challenges in Nigeria was beginning to receive global acceptability, with the latest being the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    She said the latest deal from Saudi Government to the Ministry was the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre which has promised to partner with Nigeria in Humanitarian and poverty alleviation cluster of the federal government.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the Saudi-Africa Summit and had bilateral meetings with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and other key investors. He attracted a lot of investment to Nigeria, including investment to revamp our local refineries.

    The President had assured potential investors that their investments are safe in Nigeria, saying Nigeria is ready for business while assuring investors of some of the world’s highest returns on their investments. He said Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have always enjoyed a special relationship for over 60 years.

    The Summit also discussed other key sectors like agriculture, solid minerals mining, and finance.

  • Betta Picks Members Of Working Team

    Betta Picks Members Of Working Team

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr Betta Edu has picked members by her working team in line with the President Tinubu’s directive to restructure the Social Safety Net Programme to address the expanded mandate of the ministry.

    The appointees will join her team in implementing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at providing succour to those affected by humanitarian crises and eradicate multi-dimensional poverty In Nigeria, the Special Adviser, Media/ Publicity, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair said.

    They are National Coordinator NASSCO – Hon Abdulaziz Danladi.
    National Cash Transfer Office NCTO Head of office – Dr Micheal Ajuluchukwu.
    NCTO Deputy Head of Office – Dr Janet Ekpenyong.
    National Programme Manager,Youth Empowerment Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO) – Richard Romanus.
    National Communication manager NSIP – Hon Jamalu Kaburu.
    National Programme Manager, Renewed Hope Shelter Programme for Refugees ,Poor and Internally Displaced Persons – Hon Chidinma Makuachukwu.

    National Programme manager, Grant For Vulnerable groups – Hon Thalis Apalowo.
    Programme Manager ,At Risk Children Programme – Hajia Salia Sanusi Yusuff.
    National Programme Manager, National Home grown School feeding Programme (Renewed Hope Home Grown School feeding and End Hunger programme) – Hon Mrs Obande.
    Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (Renewed Hope MSME Loan Programme) – Hon Dr Joseph Nkang.
    Others are Programme manager
    N-Power Programme (Renewed Hope Skills Acquisition Programme – Dr Akindele Adekunle Egbuwalo.
    Renewed Hope IDP Refugees out of school Programme (National Alternate school Programme ) – Dr Mrs Etcheri Ansa.
    National Project Manager, Community and Social Development Programme – Hon Olubunmi Bello.

    Meanwhile, Dr Betta Edu, remains the Chairman, National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office(NASSCO) Management Team, while the Secretary NASSCO Management team is Hon Abel Enitan,the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

    The Minister has charged the new appointees to bring their wealth of experience to bear in their new offices as there will be no room for excuses or failure, in the actualisation of Renewed Hope mandate and in moving Nigeria Forward.

    The appointments take immediate effect.

  • FG goes tough on humanitarian crisis, as Edu Seeks parley with Interior Ministry

    FG goes tough on humanitarian crisis, as Edu Seeks parley with Interior Ministry

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has sought parley between the humanitarian ministry and the Ministry of Interior to tackle Internal Security, Human Trafficking, and Migration.

    Edu made this move in Tuesday when she visited the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji- Ojo in his office in Abuja.

    She explained that collaboration between the two ministries would help tackle the root causes of Humanitarian crisis and poverty in Nigeria.

    The Minister identified, internal security, human Trafficking, and Migration as some underlining factors causing insecurity ,humanitarian crises and poverty across the country

    Edu emphasized that synergy with the Interior ministry will enable her to get the intelligence required to manage any humanitarian responses.

    “We are here for serious business and for us to succeed, the President has said we must team up and there must be inter-sectoral and ministerial collaboration to achieve success.”

    “My new responsibilities focus on covering a greater population of vulnerable Nigerians, providing them with humanitarian services and alleviating their poverty in line with President Tinubu’s agenda.”

    The president is committed to seeing that Nigerians smile again, and reduce the number of people living below the poverty line to the bearest minimum, she said.

    “The president is committed to seeing that he reduces the number of persons who are exposed or prone to a humanitarian crisis, I am saying this because a lot of our work depends on how well you do your work in the Ministry of Interior.

    “We need your support and we need it at all levels. The heads of security agencies here at this meeting will help to work with our team to gather intelligence on how people are moving in and out of our country.”

    “There are issues of human trafficking, child labor, and sexual exploitation, amongst other things which lead to Humanitarian crises, We cannot continue to allow this trend to go unattended, It’s not acceptable.”

    “We need your support. We need intelligence from you. We just got the approval for officers from NAPTIP to be present at the different ports.”

    We need you to know the importance of our collaboration with you on the border. We have to find ways to step up our intelligence in Nigeria, we have too many illegal borders, the minister t.

    Meanwhile, the humanitarian minister disclosed that social intervention social register will be extended to the next servicemen and widows of paramilitary organizations adding that inmates at the Nigeria Correctional Services whose husbands in active serve will also be captured and benefit from the skill acquisition programs of her Ministry.

    Responding, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo commended Dr Edu for the Renewed Hope collaboration she sought from his Ministry.

    Tunji- Ojo noted that the interministerial Committee headed by the secretaries in the two Ministries will work out modalities that will strengthen the focus of their agenda.

    He described as heartwarming and a welcome development, the Humanitarian Minister’s offers to train the inmates of the Correctional services in skills

  • FG committed to returning displaced persons back to communities, homes – Edu

    FG committed to returning displaced persons back to communities, homes – Edu

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has disclosed that the Federal Government’s commitment to return displaced people and refugees back to their communities and homes by 2024.

    Edu made this his known during her first official visit to Governor of Maiduguri Prof. Babagana Zulum at the State House in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital.

    The minister who was overwhelmed by the grand reception in Borno promised that under her leadership the ministry would eliminate poverty and also provide safety nets to prevent Nigerians from slipping under the poverty line.

    She emphasized that structures must be put in place to repatriate and reintegrate the internally displaced people back into their communities.

    Edu explained that Borno State was her first place of visit as a minister because the state is importance and strategic to achieving results on humanitarian response and ending poverty in the country, adding that
    Bornu a stabilizing state in the North East and Nigeria.

    Dr. Edu reiterated President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s commitment to minimizing Humanitarian crisis and eliminating poverty in Nigeria in fulfillment of the renewed hope Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2.

    “it is important that the Humanitarian Ministry renew its partnership with the State and leverage on their successes and experience to find better ways of doing things.”

    “The Ministry shall establish humanitarian hubs in all Local Government Areas as a deliberate policy of targeting the grassroots, the rural poor that are more in large numbers in communities and villages.”

    “The Ministry shall deliberately create job opportunities for youth on a short- and long-term basis, giving microcredits, vocational training among others.”

    The Borno State Governor Zulum congratulated Dr. Edu on her appointment and assured her of his government’s commitment towards addressing the humanitarian issues and poverty.

    Zulum listed areas of collaboration with the humanitarian as poverty causing insecurity, durable provisions for internally displaced persons,IDPs, adding that challenges at the IDP camps are population growth and gender-based violence.

    The governor promised to created SME opportunities for displaced people.

    Governor Zulum who decried the Refugees situation, saying over 200,000 refugees in Niger, 60,000 in Cameroon and 24,000 in Chad, promised that the State would work with the Ministry to bring the
    refugees back home and give them shelters, money, and job opportunities.

  • Betta Edu seeks Bill Gates Foundation support to lift 16m Nigerians out of poverty, humanitarian crisis

    Betta Edu seeks Bill Gates Foundation support to lift 16m Nigerians out of poverty, humanitarian crisis

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has solicited the support of the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation to lift 16 million Nigerians out of poverty and humanitarian crisis.

    Edu made this call when she received a delegation from the Foundation in her office in Abuja.

    The Minister said that support is to help lift out the 16 million people in Nigeria facing humanitarian crisis and Poverty caused by natural and man-made disasters, insecurity and flooding, in addition to refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

    The Minister noted that the gesture on interventions by development partners, donors bodies and the private to get people out of humanitarian crisis and poverty is in line with the federal government’s agenda.

    She stated, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to alleviating poverty in Nigeria in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 1,2 and 3 of the 2030 target. Our ministry is working assiduously to implement the presidential directive, and we cannot do it alone without partners like you.”

    Please link up this Ministry to other strategic partners that could support the country’s fight against poverty in Nigeria, she added.

    The Country Director, Bill&Mellinda Gates Foundation, Jeremie Zoungrana, assured the ministry of the foundation’s partnership, as well as linking up the ministry with strategic partners in specific areas to eradicate poverty in Nigeria.

  • Government to Revamp N-Power Scheme and Ensure Beneficiary Payments, Announces Betta Edu

    Government to Revamp N-Power Scheme and Ensure Beneficiary Payments, Announces Betta Edu

    By Daniel Edu

    Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has revealed plans to overhaul the N-Power scheme to accommodate a larger number of participants and ensure timely disbursement of stipends to beneficiaries.

    In a statement released on Sunday by her Special Adviser for Media and Publicity, Mr. Rasheed Zubair, in Abuja, the minister acknowledged the challenges faced by N-Power beneficiaries, particularly concerning delayed stipend payments.

    Edu expressed her commitment to resolving these issues, stating, “We will change the modalities so that people will receive their overdue stipends, expand the program to include more participants, and relaunch it with a renewed sense of hope.”

    Additionally, the ministry outlined its intention to establish humanitarian hubs in all 774 local government areas across the country, aiming for a long-term strategy to combat poverty in Nigeria. These hubs will offer locally produced goods at reduced prices to benefit Nigerians.

    The ministry also plans to deploy its personnel to all local government areas to gather feedback, along with implementing digital tracking of welfare assistance.

    The digital tracking system is designed to monitor the timing, location, households, and individuals receiving aid, ensuring transparent and efficient distribution. Independent monitors will also be engaged to verify that relief materials reach those in need.

    Dr. Edu emphasized that under her leadership, the ministry will address poverty through job creation, cash transfers to impoverished Nigerians, collaboration with the Nutrition Department, establishment of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, and provision of stimulus to support businesses.

    She assured Nigerians of her dedication to tackling the humanitarian crisis in the country with swift action. Dr. Edu also mentioned President Bola Tinubu’s substantial economic interventions to address the immediate and long-term needs of the population, encouraging Nigerians to have confidence in the process.