.jpeg "Edu requests assistance from the Information Ministry to reduce poverty in Nigeria")
FMINO, in an official statement released on X (previously Twitter) on Tuesday, announced that Edu embarked on a visit to the Minister of Information & National Orientation, Alh. Mohammed Idris, with the objective of addressing the issue of poverty in Nigeria.
The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alh. Mohammed Idris, welcomed the Hon. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, during a visit aimed at seeking the Ministry's and its parastatals' assistance in implementing her Ministry's initiatives.
In the meantime, Edu emphasized the necessity for Nigerians to provide their assistance to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his endeavor to fulfill the 'Renewed Hope Agenda', which aims to introduce a fresh opportunity for all individuals in the nation.
The aforementioned remark was sent by the spokesperson, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, as a means of observing Nigeria's 63rd Independence Day on October 1, 2023.
Edu subsequently initiated the commencement of the verification process for the National Social Register (NSR) in Oko Agbon, Adogbo, Migbewhe, Makoko, Sogunro, and Apollo villages located in Lagos State, which is situated in the south-west region of Nigeria. This initiative was accompanied by a commitment to establish a social register that upholds the principles of integrity for the Nigerian population.
After the official commencement, the National Social Register Verification will be expanded to encompass more regions within Lagos State.
The activity, which began concurrently nationwide in accordance with President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, is scheduled to span a duration of three weeks.
In a statement made immediately following her completion of a door-to-door verification of the register in a distant suburb of Lagos, the Minister, who was transported via canoe, expressed the federal government's commitment to providing financial support to Nigerians for the purpose of aiding their businesses, facilitating their children's education, sustaining their livelihoods, and fostering job creation.
The speaker mentioned that the federal government intends to allocate funds to households in Nigeria with the aim of supporting various aspects such as business ventures, sustenance, education, payment of children's fees, enhanced access to social services, subsidized transportation expenses, increased spending capacity for basic healthcare requirements, and job creation.
In order to proceed with this task, it is imperative that we authenticate the National Social Register. The President has granted approval for the implementation of a strategy aimed at engaging with the local community in order to verify the accuracy of the National Social Register, specifically with regards to accurately identifying individuals who are genuinely impoverished.
It is imperative to conduct a thorough verification process to ascertain that individuals listed meet the criteria of living below a daily income of one dollar and ninety-five cents, experiencing multi-dimensional poverty, and genuinely need assistance. It is essential to remove individuals who do not meet the eligibility criteria, while ensuring that those who genuinely require support are included in the registry.
Our approach involves employing both community targeting and geographical targeting strategies. Our observations indicate that the NSR has successfully covered specific regions inside Makoko, while other areas remain unaddressed. The individuals in question will be apprehended.
The actions being initiated here are being implemented nationwide, in collaboration with other states and localities. The steering committee at the state level will be led by the state governors, while the attainment of NSR with integrity will entail the participation of local government areas and community leaders.
The speaker expressed the desire to guarantee that the recipients of the funds are exclusively those who genuinely require it, without any involvement of political, social, or personal factors.