Government and UN Join Forces to Secure $5 Billion Annually for Poverty Alleviation

Infostride News reported on Wednesday that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation announced a groundbreaking initiative aimed at raising $5 billion annually for Nigeria’s Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund. The Federal Government, in collaboration with the United Nations, various development partners, and other stakeholders, is set to embark on a coordinated effort to address humanitarian challenges and provide durable solutions in Nigeria.

The decision was made during a pivotal humanitarian coordination meeting held at the United Nations House in Abuja. Minister Betta Edu, who spearheaded the meeting, engaged with ambassadors, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other participants to reinforce their collective commitment to enhancing the humanitarian response in Nigeria.

A core objective of the meeting was to foster a durable, smart, and coordinated approach to addressing humanitarian crises. The stakeholders collectively recognized the importance of moving away from uncoordinated, unaccountable, and siloed approaches that had characterized previous efforts in the country.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation revealed that a significant outcome of the meeting was the commitment to mobilize $5 billion annually for the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund. This financial support is expected to come from diverse sources, including the Federal Government, other nations, the private sector, donor agencies, and various development partners.

Minister Betta Edu conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation to UN agencies and development partners for their contributions to alleviating humanitarian challenges in Nigeria. However, she underscored the need for a more coordinated approach, marking the end of the era of fragmented and duplicative efforts in humanitarian response.

“President Bola Tinubu does appreciate the effort of the UN agencies as well as other organizations that are working in the humanitarian space, but we just need to bring this effort in a more coordinated manner so that we can achieve more, especially in the face of dwindling resources,” stated Minister Edu.

She emphasized the government’s responsibility to lead and coordinate efforts, ensuring alignment with national priorities and efficient resource utilization. The minister outlined the necessity of moving away from uncoordinated responses and duplicative efforts, emphasizing the government’s commitment to reducing, preventing, mitigating, and responding adequately to humanitarian crises, with the overarching goal of reducing poverty by 50 percent.

United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, spoke on behalf of UN agencies and expressed unequivocal support for the government’s initiatives. Schmale acknowledged the widespread humanitarian needs across the country and reiterated the commitment of UN agencies to assist in proper coordination, plan development and review, resource mobilization, and alignment with the Federal Government’s priorities.

“We’ve heard very clearly from you that humanitarian needs span the rest of the country. We are here as United Nations agencies to support in ensuring proper coordination, develop review and implementation response plan, mobilize resources for country response, as well as align to the Federal Government priorities,” stated Schmale.

The collaboration between the Federal Government, UN agencies, development partners, and other stakeholders marks a significant step towards a more effective and coordinated approach to addressing humanitarian challenges in Nigeria. As the country aims to raise $5 billion annually for the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund, this initiative reflects a shared commitment to making a lasting impact on the lives of those affected by crises and advancing sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty. Infostride News will continue to monitor and report on developments related to this critical initiative.