In a significant step toward improving the humanitarian response in Nigeria, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has hosted a meeting at the United Nations House in Abuja.
The meeting, spearheaded by Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, facilitated candid discussions with Ambassadors, UN agencies, Development Partners, INGOs, and NGOs, all coming together to address the challenges of humanitarian crises in the country.
During the meeting, stakeholders committed to adopting a durable, smart, and coordinated approach to humanitarian response. One of the key resolutions involved a collective effort to raise $5 billion annually for the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund in Nigeria.
This financial commitment is expected to come from the federal government, other countries, the private sector, donor agencies, and development partners.
The meeting also outlined a comprehensive plan, including hosting the African Humanitarian Summit, conducting joint field assessments by the government and partners, organizing quarterly humanitarian coordination meetings, and creating the Nigeria Humanitarian Dashboard, among other initiatives.
Dr. Edu conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation to UN agencies and development partners for their significant contributions to alleviating humanitarian challenges in Nigeria. However, she emphasized the need for a more coordinated approach, marking the end of uncoordinated, unaccountable, and siloed responses to humanitarian crises.
Dr. Edu stated, “There is a need for the government to take the lead and properly coordinate. The days of uncoordinated responses to the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria should be over.”
She underscored the government’s commitment to reducing, preventing, mitigating, and responding adequately to humanitarian crises while aiming to reduce poverty by 50 percent. Dr. Edu highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and stakeholders, emphasizing a unified approach to achieve impactful results.
United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, expressed full support for the Nigerian government’s efforts to address humanitarian challenges.
He commended Dr. Edu for her dynamic leadership and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to ensuring proper coordination, developing and implementing response plans, and mobilizing resources aligned with federal government priorities.
Ambassadors from Malaysia, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, and others present at the meeting pledged their support to Nigeria in addressing humanitarian crises, emphasizing a more strategic and collaborative approach to achieve sustainable solutions.
The commitment of various stakeholders signals a collective effort to enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian response in Nigeria and bring about positive change.
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