POVERTY ALLEVIATION: FG TO ESTABLISH HUMANITARIAN HUBS…………….
By:Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has revealed plans by the Ministry 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.
In a statement by her Special Adviser On Media and Publicity Rasheed Zubair, the Minister stated this while speaking on Radio Nigeria’s weekly Network Programme ‘ Radio Link’.
According to the statement, staff of the Ministry would also be deployed 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.
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 be rest assured that all existing empowerments within the National Investment Programme will be rejigged, and made more effective to reach more Nigerians”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 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” she said.
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.