EDITORIAL: THE NEED FOR NIGERIANS TO CONTINUE PRAYERS FOR PROF. NENTAWE YILWATDA, AS MINISTER OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND POVERTY REDUCTION

Nigerian as a country has within the past Nine (9) years acquired a very bad image, as it is been acknowledged and referred to as the POVERTY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.  

The country has on its own, and without a war, mismanaged its citizens through the condemnable attitudes of its leaders, who may have allowed the existence of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their very own communities, villages, Local Governments or State.

Although these IDPs’ existence across the country are mostly attributable to many yet to be control factors, like; Land grabbing, Expansionists’ ideas, Religion, among others, the fact still remains that the concern for these IDPs is now a National Responsibility as it stands.

The number one effect of the existence of these IDPs is the low farming and the poor level of its output, as the country’s population has now exceeded the level of food available—INFLATION  

MINISTER, NENTAWE

With the country’s statistical Over Population, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, therefore, needs support and prayers to get its projections right, as the population index of those in IDP camps, may become a new challenge.

You would recall that this very Ministry has been headed by two past Ministers, Sadiya Umar and Betta Edu, yet the issue of Poverty is increasing, owing to one negative reason or the other.

It is a fact that Nigeria's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development was established by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 21, 2019. Sadiya Umar Farouq became its first Minister, bringing her experience from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons. Farouq focused on large-scale social welfare initiatives, such as the National Home-Grown School Feeding Program and the N-Power youth empowerment scheme. Her tenure faced challenges, including controversies over aid distribution transparency and response efficiency during crises, but she was also credited with positively impacting vulnerable communities through disaster management and social inclusion programs. Farouq served until Buhari’s administration ended in May 2023.

In August 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Betta Edu, as the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, now expanded to include Poverty Alleviation. Edu’s early initiatives have emphasized poverty reduction, aiming to address the pressing needs of low-income households. She has signaled an intent to reform social welfare and improve transparency in program execution, setting new priorities to reflect Tinubu’s administration's goals for social transformation.

These transitions reflect Nigeria's evolving humanitarian priorities, from focusing primarily on crisis response under Farouq to a broader mandate that includes poverty alleviation under Edu. This shift aligns with the nation’s ongoing socio-economic challenges and strategic efforts to build resilience across vulnerable populations. 

NENTAWE YILWATDA

 The evaluation of the Ministry, after the exit of Edu and for it to succeed on its objectives President Tinubu, has found it on good ground to appoint Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda to head the Ministry. This calls for support and prayers across the country especially, from the People of Plateau State.

The way the country is presently configured with Shadowing “No-Go-Areas”, this may pose a potential threat in the handling of humanitarian issues in the country.

Although the Minister has been able to appoint a capable and credible Personal Assistant (PA), Engr. Kelvin Nedim Pankshin, the support for them and prayers should not have limits, as every one of us in the country has one person, who is living within or below the Poverty Line or living at an IDP camp in the country.