The minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu has disclosed plans by President Bola Tinubu to lift about 136 million poor Nigerians out of poverty.
The minister noted that staggering figure was unacceptable to the president.
Edu disclosed this in Abuja when she assumed office at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on Monday, August 21.
She also said the ministry aims to create 10 million jobs.
She said: “He (President) has an agenda. And the agenda is simple; renew the hopes of Nigerians. There’s a lot of work to be done. I have taken my time to go through some data and I have seen that we have about 136 million poor Nigerians.
“Let’s assume in all honesty that the data we have is correct, that we have 200 million Nigerians, which I think we are more than that, 136 million is alarming and it is completely unacceptable to President Bola Tinubu.”
She also gave reasons for the renaming the ministry.
She explained that the ministry was renamed by the government in order to refocus it and ensure that poverty in Nigeria was tackled frontally.
“I don’t know if it is good for you, but is good for the President and for Nigerians that it is a younger person that is here. And the reason is simple, we need energy, innovation and speed to reach 136 million people as a matter of urgency. “
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She said the President would be bringing onboard people-centred and life-changing programmes to alleviate poverty across the country.
“A lot of people in Nigeria are living under $1.90/day. It will not continue. President Bola Tinubu has said no. This is the end, we must bring renewed hope.
She said the target of lifting 136 million Nigerians out of poverty was realistic and would be done in phases, as there was strong political backing from the President on this.
On the number of jobs to be created, arg said, “We’ll be creating a minimum of 10 million jobs from this ministry.
“Just the same way we have development partners come in and they hire people to offer humanitarian services on short term contracts and the rest of it, we too will be creating those opportunities for Nigerians
“So let’s just get ready, because its a full package from the President, who came prepared with a compassionate heart, and aside the fact that he is a master strategist, this is his flagship ministry.”
The minister charged workers at the ministry, its agencies and development partners to support her, adding that she would push to achieve the targets of the President in alleviating poverty in Nigeria.
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