Humanitarian ministry seeks NASS support to create 2million jobs
From Adamu Abuh, Abuja
The Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty Reduction has mapped out strategies aimed at creating over 2 million jobs for the unemployed before the end of this year.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, made this known Thursday while defending the Ministry’s 2025 budgetary proposal before the joint Senate and House of Representatives committee at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
He said according to the goal, the ministry has already procured starter packs which are vital tools for entrepreneurship and economic growth that will enable over 110,000 beneficiaries to embark on self-reliant ventures.
He explained that the Ministry will require N55 billion in funds to conduct a two-week intensive training for all beneficiaries, payment of resource person, and logistics funding to facilitate the effective distribution of the starter packs at N45,000 per beneficiary.
The Minister stressed the need for monitoring and evaluation to ensure the transparency and sustainability of these initiatives at N5,000 per beneficiary.
Additionally, he said plans are afoot to train 50,000 unemployed graduates and nongraduates under our Skill2Wealth Initiative which seeks to create nano, micro and small-scale businesses 21d that will focus on connecting unemployed youth to the private sector, provide them with starter packs and link them to market opportunities to foster sustainable employment.
This, he said will cost N50 billion (at N1,000,000 per beneficiary: covering training in all the 36 states and FCT, Starter pack, linkage to the market, and M&E).”
The Minister also stressed the need to create a budget line for the Humanitarian Response Fund of N10 billion for communities affected by climate-change-related disasters, conflicts, and man-made crises, including flooding, fire outbreaks, and insurgency attacks that have displaced thousands.
In the same vein, he solicited another budget line of N15 billion for durable solutions for households affected by disaster in 2024.
According to him, an additional sum of N130 billion is required by the Ministry as an Intervention Fund to resolve these humanitarian and Poverty reduction challenges across the country in 2025.
The Minister who was accompanied by the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Mr. Gbadamosi Lawan also solicited for the amendment of the NSIPA Act to address some of the gaps that may hamper effective operations of the Agency, especially in the area of funding such as recurrent expenditure.
While responding to a question bothering on the non-implementation of the 5,000 Vulnerable Nigerians, the Minister assured that efforts will be intensified to get Mr. President’s approval for the release of the sum of N3.7 billion approved in the 2024 Appropriation Act as Grant to 5,000 Vulnerable Groups domiciled with Access Bank for onward disbursement to the beneficiaries.
According to the Minister, the Ministry’s 2025 overhead ceiling was increased from the sum of N682.682.013 in 2024 to the sum of N978,386,116.00 in 2025, representing 43.31% increase above the 2024 budget to cushion the effect of inflation.
“Conversely, the capital budget ceiling of N4,601,092.674.00 will not be able to address the ever-increasing humanitarian challenges, to reduce poverty, address accurate malnutrition,” he said.
“It is worth noting that global humanitarian support from donor countries has dropped, and most donors are targeting the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine. In addition, the HRP js targeting only the BAY states of Bomo, Adamawa, and Yobe.
The joint Committees on Poverty Alleviation and Social Investment chaired by Senator Idiat Adebule and Chairman, House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Abdulkadir Jobe expressed resolve towards ensuring increased funding for Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction in the bid to tackle the menace of poverty and other humanitarian crises across the country.
Jobe showered encomium on the immediate past Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan for the exemplary leadership provided during the absence of substantive Minister.
He said: “I must commend Mr Abel Olumuyiwa; the ministry’s Permanent Secretary who is now re-deployed to the ministry of Education for his commitment and dedication to his job.
“He (Enitan) was always available to the Committee to answer to questions and enquiries or provide information to the Committee in the absence of a Minister. We wish him success in his new office, we extend the Committee’s goodwill to the new Permanent Secretary; Dr. Yakubu Adam Kofar Mata.”
THE GUARDIAN
