In no distance time precisely October 17th Nigeria will have a date with history to showcase a new National Social Register that will be all inclusive and acceptable to all.
This is because the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu has kicked off the process with the recent visit to the popular Makoko, a riverine community in Lagos state.
During the on the spot fact finding mission, the Minister assured that similar exercise have commenced in other parts of the country.
The goal according to her is to produce a new National Social Register that will be acceptable to all Nigerians based on accuracy, fairness and accountability.
The Minister disclosed that the mandate given to her by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is to ensure that those on the National Social Register are verified poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
According to her and i quote” The President is trully committed to change the narrative and leave a good legacies behind. He is
very courageous to take bold decisions in the larger interest of the populace.
The President just want to give back to the country”. End of quote.
Dr Betta Edu has been moving around the country since her appointment in ensuring that lives and welfare of the people gets better while promising to be accountable for the trust entrusted in her.
The Minister therefore solicited for full support of the Media towards projecting the policy and programmes of the ministry as well as rendering account of progress made to Nigerians.
On the issue with the sixteen millions Internally displaced Nigerians with majority in the north, she said that governmenr is responding swiftly to their different needs.
She however noted that most of them are not ready for now to return to their ancestral homes due to heightened insecurity.
She reiterated that the target of the current administration is to lift 70 million extremely poor Nigerisns out of poverty in the first year and raise the bar to 173m in the next 8 years.
About 15 million households amounting to 60m vulnerable Nigerians including pensioners will receive #25,000 each for the next three months as part of the social interventions programme by the Federal Government.
All eyes on October 17th, when the new National Social Register would be unveiled to Nigerians. Well done and good luck I say to the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
