By Chimezie Godfrey
The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has disclosed her Ministry’s plan to establish humanitarian hubs in all 774 local government areas in the country.
According to her, the humanitarian hubs are a long-term goal towards eradicating poverty in Nigeria. The hubs, she explained, will accommodate homegrown commodities, which will be sold at cheaper rates to Nigerians.
The Minister who was speaking during a radio Nigeria weekly Network Programme ‘ Radio Link’, said that the Ministry will also send its Staff to the 774 local government areas to get feedback in addition to engaging in digital tracking of the palliatives to determine the time, location, household, and individuals they are delivered to.
For a transparent and effective disbursement of palliatives, Dr. Edu further announced plans to bring on board Independent Monitors to ensure that the relief materials reach those who need them the most.
Dr. Edu, the immediate past National Woman Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, assured that “under my watch, the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry will address poverty through Job creation, Cash Transfer to poor Nigerians, engagement with the Nutrition Department, the establishment of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise and provision of stimulus to their Business”.
The Ministry, she assured, was committed to curtailing the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria, as prompt response to such crisis will henceforth be on the front burner of the Ministry’s agenda.
On Empowerment Schemes of the Ministry, the Minister said “Nigerians should rest assured that all existing empowerments within the National Investment Programme will be rejigged, made more effective to cover more Nigerians”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Edu stated, ” has a huge Economic Plans for Nigeria; some are short term goals which the Ministry will soon Implement and some are long term goals, Nigerians should trust the process”
On the challenges, in terms of delay in payment of stipends, being faced by the beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme, the Minister said her Ministry was working round the clock to address the issue.
“We will change the modalities so that people will get their delayed stipends, include more people, and relaunch it with a renewed hope concept”, Dr. Edu stressed.