Dr. Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, stated on Thursday in Abuja that the Federal Government would create a Presidential Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund.
Edu, who spoke at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s country director’s visit to the humanitarian ministry, said the fund was one of many initiatives to help over 133 million Nigerians escape poverty and other humanitarian challenges.
The minister also requested the foundation’s financial and technical assistance in order to accomplish the mission of rescuing millions of Nigerians from poverty and addressing the numerous humanitarian issues that exist all over the nation.
We have a tremendous work ahead of us, she remarked. Over 16 million Nigerians are presently impacted by humanitarian crises brought on by either man-made or natural calamities. Security concerns and isolated pockets of rioting in various locations haven’t helped, of course.
Other natural catastrophes, such as the flooding we are currently experiencing and the opening of a dam in another nation that will have an impact on Nigeria, are another call for attention to make sure that people are taken care of.
“And then there are these unrests in all the neighboring nations, particularly in Cameroon’s southern region, where over 46,000 refugees are entering Nigeria. Over 36,000 people live in Cross River, then. Along that border, we have a lot in Taraba and Benue.
People were traveling to Sokoto, Kano, and Katsina, among other places, she said, as the government dealt with other difficulties in Niger.