Dr. Betta Chimaobim Edu, the newly appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has pledged to work tirelessly to improve the lives of 136 million poor Nigerians.
She made this promise on Monday, August 21, 2023, as she assumed office at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.
Dr. Edu said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has a strong passion for poverty alleviation and restoring the dignity of Nigerians.
She expressed her concern over the alarming rate of poverty in the country, which affects more than two-thirds of the population.
She said that having over 200 million Nigerians is a blessing, but having 136 million poor Nigerians is a curse and totally unacceptable to President Tinubu.
She said that the Ministry was renamed to reflect its new focus on bringing back smiles on the faces of Nigerians and ensuring that no one is left behind.
She assured that before the end of Mr. President’s first tenure, significant progress would be made to address the issue of poverty in the country.
“We need to reach out to those who are underserved and renew their hopes. We will be very sincere, transparent and accountable to Nigerians. We will speak out and tell them what we are doing,” she said.
She told the management and staff of the Ministry that she is a team player, a good listener and operates an open door policy. She solicited the cooperation of all staff and stakeholders to realise the vision of Mr President of lifting 136 million poor Nigerians out of poverty. She said there is a huge task ahead and all hands must be on deck to achieve the mandate of the Ministry.
Dr Edu pledged to make the Ministry one of the best Ministries in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, mni, NPOM, said it is a nice coincidence that the Minister was assuming office on August 21, the same day the Ministry is marking its 4th anniversary.
He appreciated Mr. President for the appointment of a vibrant woman to head the Ministry, adding that the Ministry is the closest to the people because it mops up the fallout from other Ministries and agencies.
He assured the Honourable Minister of the full cooperation and support of the management and staff of the ministry to achieve the mandate given to her.
He officially handed over the affairs of the Ministry to the newly inaugurated Minister.
The event was attended by Directors of the Ministry, Agencies of the Ministry and the Media.
