By Ere-ebi Agedah Imisi
In a bid to support Nigeria’s humanitarian response and poverty alleviation efforts, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has pledged to support Nigeria with $270 million.
Country Representative UNICEF, Christian Mundate and lead the Chief of Health & HIV/AIDS, Eduardo Celades, made this known in Abuja during a working visit to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, on Tuesday.
This was contained in a statement by Mrs Rhoda Iliya, Deputy Director of the ministry adding that the UNICEF delegation also assured the minister of technical support to build capacity of the ministry’s staff as well as support the development of a humanitarian response protocol for Nigeria to guide all humanitarian actors.
UNICEF, Country Representative, Mundate maintained that the delegation would facilitate effective coordination.
Furthermore, UNICEF also assured that it will support the establishment of a National Humanitarian Situation Room or Humanitarian Emergency Operation Centre, H-EOC, to monitor, mitigate and prevent humanitarian emergencies and build resilience in the system.
In her response, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, explained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has a phased strategy to lift 133 million Nigerians out of poverty, particularly the 71 million living on less than $1.95 per day.
Edu urged UNICEF to strategize and align its effort with the government’s poverty alleviation initiative, urging the fund to also draw up plans towards supporting the government on poverty alleviation.
“Time is of the essence and we need to run at the speed of light to roll out social programs that will bring relief to the burdens of the poor. Nigerians are eagerly waiting for full implementation of the renewed hope agenda, the time for intense action is now,” the minister said.
The Minister however assured the delegation of transparency and accountability in the disbursing of the funds adding that the engagement with partners like UNICEF will continue until government achieves its targets.
