The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said that the ministry has been mandated to create 2 million Jobs in 2025 and train 50,000 unemployed graduates and non graduates under the Skill2Wealth Initiative.
Iliya Rhoda Ishaku, the Director of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, said in a press release on Friday that the minister disclosed this during the presentation of the 2025 budget proposal of the ministry at the two chambers of the National Assembly.
He said already the ministry has procured starter packs that will enable over 110,000 beneficiaries to embark on self-reliant ventures. The starter packs are vital tools for entrepreneurship and economic growth.
The minister noted that humanitarian needs have increased due to climate related disasters, conflicts and man- made crises, including flooding, fire disasters and insurgency attacks that have displaced millions.
He also noted that global Humanitarian support from donor countries have dropped and most donors are targeting the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine.
Professor Yilwatda appealed to the two Chambers of the National Assembly that the capital budget ceiling of N4.6bn will not be able to address the ever increasing Humanitarian challenges, to reduce poverty and address acute malnutrition .
He said for the ministry to accomplish its Presidential priorities to reduce the proportion of Nigerians living in multi- dimensional poverty by 50% in four years and create 2 million Jobs in 2025, there is need to create additional budget lines as intervention fund to resolve the Humanitarian and Poverty reduction challenges.
“I appeal to you to provide the necessary support for these programmes. Together we can make a lasting impact on millions of lives and secure a brighter future for our country in line with Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he stated.
Yilwatda also observed that the N8.8 bn capital budget earmarked for the National Social Investment Programme Agency with no overhead was grossly inadequate and also appealed for increase in the budget of the Agency to achieve its Presidential mandate.
The Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, Distinguished Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule, and other members of the committee promised to look into the proposed budgets of the ministry and NSIPA.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, Honourable Abdulkadir Tijani Yobe, and other members of his committee commended both the Minister and Minister of State for starting on a good footing.
They said the two ministers are round pegs in round holes.
The ministers were commended for proposing projects geared towards addressing humanitarian and poverty challenges in the country.
They were encouraged to sustain the tempo with which they started since assumption of office and wish them a successful tenure.
On the entourage of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction were the Minister of State, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, National Coordinator National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Associate Professor Badamasi Lawal, and directors of the ministry and NSIPA.
