Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has elaborated on the measures aimed at lifting 50 million Nigerians out of poverty, in line with the Federal Government’s plan.
On Thursday, November 3, 2023, Edu detailed the procedure during an interaction with State House journalists at the ongoing cabinet retreat held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
She explained that the disbursement of ₦25,000 to impoverished households through a three-month conditional cash transfer is one component of the strategy designed to combat poverty within the nation.
Edu further stated that this program aims to elevate 61 million households out of poverty, although the cash transfer initiative primarily serves to mitigate the economic hardship experienced by these households in response to the fuel subsidy removal.
The minister clarified that the procedure was being executed with thoroughness, emphasizing that the Federal Government was actively engaged in the identification and validation of beneficiaries using their NINs and BVNs to guarantee that the funds reach the intended recipients.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that, “rush into paying people and then realise that they didn’t even exist.”
“So, we have a couple of things that have been listed out. First and foremost, as you know, there is an ongoing payment of ₦25,000 to poor households in Nigeria, and this is going to happen for three months, amounting to ₦75,000.
“Now, this is an immediate cushioning of the economic shock that these households are experiencing. However, we’re taking our time going through the rigorous process. And the reason is simple; We want to be sure that the right people get the money, we identify them, they have their NINs, they have their BVNs and they paid. We don’t want to rush into paying people and then you realise that they don’t even exist.
“That’s why we went through the process of verification, and payments have started. Different states across the country can attest to this; individual poor households as well. And this we will make public so it’s not even secret. Public so that Nigerians can hold us accountable,” she said.
Additionally, Edu noted that President Bola Tinubu’s intention was to generate employment opportunities for Nigerians by focusing on agriculture and social initiatives.
“This is 15 million households, which automatically amounts to about 61 million persons. Beyond this, the President is going to be creating jobs for millions of Nigerians through different methods. We’re providing zero-interest loans for markets, petty traders, market women, amongst other people,” she said.
“We’re also supporting poor farmers. We’re bringing on board the End Hunger Project, we’re equally bringing on board the Good Nigeria Project, and several other projects. And each of these projects has the targeted amount of persons who we want to reach through our social safety net projects.
It’s worth recalling that back in August, Edu emphasized the Federal Government’s dedication to raising 133 million Nigerians above the poverty line through her ministry.
She elaborated that this ambitious objective would be realized through various interventions and initiatives specifically designed to uplift a significant number of Nigerians from poverty.