The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction is seeking the support and validation of the United Nations agencies in Nigeria for a Humanitarian Response Plan and other Humanitarian Initiative Programmes it intends to launch soon.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, made this known during a courtesy visit by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ambassador Amina J. Mohamed, to the his office in Abuja on Friday.
Yilwatda said: “We are planning to launch the Humanitarian Response Plan and will have a round table discussion with all the humanitarian stakeholders.
“We are also launching the ministry’s humanitarian initiatives for 2025 and we need the validation by international communities and partners, so that they can make inputs into what we doing.”
According to the him, the ministry will fund the pilot scheme of the initiatives one hundred percent but would require partnership in the area of manpower, capacity building and support in monitoring and evaluation.
The minister also said the ministry is concerned about the humanitarian challenges across the country and is working to provide durable solutions to humanitarian issues that are sustainable, empower the people and uplift those at the lower ebb of the economy.
He disclosed that about 10,000 hectares of land will be cultivated this year by Internally Displaced Persons of 3,000 households to move them out of poverty.
He said the ministry will share the concept notes with international partners and donors for them to know what the ministry is doing.
Yilwatda commended the the UN deputy scribe on her impact at both the national and global levels.
Earlier, Ambassador Mohammed had appreciated the minister and spoke about how several communities the world over face a plethora of humanitarian challenges, Nigeria inclusive.
She said her most concern is to explore ways to provide preventive mechanism and solutions for those humanitarian crises, particularly the most vulnerable women, young people and try to transit them back to normalcy and reintegrated them into the society after the crisis.
She commended the ministry’s engagement and partnership with civil societies and other critical stakeholders and pledged her support for the ministry.
The Director of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Rhoda Ishaku Iliya, said in a press release that other dignitaries at the meeting included the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malik Fall, aides of the minister, and other UN officials.