Minister Unveils Plan To Lift 1.5m Nigerians Out Of Poverty Annually

The minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has unveiled plans to lift 1.5 million Nigerians out of poverty annually.

Prof. Yilwatda disclosed this yesterday in Kano during the 3rd annual conference of 36 state social welfare/development directors.

Represented by the ministry’s federal director of social welfare, Peter Adanu-Audu, the minister said that under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the ministry has set an ambitious goal to be achieved through shared vision and collaborative efforts with all stakeholders.

He, therefore, tasked the directors with brainstorming on the challenges hindering social development programmes and developing approaches for delivering social services to targeted groups.

“Notwithstanding, transformative change cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires a united front, a shared vision, and an unwavering commitment.

“Today, I challenge each of you to reflect on how you can contribute to this vision. How can we collaborate more effectively? How can we innovate our practices? How can we ensure every Nigerian, regardless of their circumstances, feels the impact of our work?” he stated.

Declaring the conference open, the Kano State governor, who was represented by the secretary to the state governor, Dr Abdullahi Baffa, said as part of the state’s efforts to promote social welfare, the state has empowered 5,200 women each with N50,000 across the 484 wards of the state, 2,000 persons with disabilities with N20,000 each, same with 500 adolescents trained on vocational skills and empowered with N20,000 among others with more strategic programs underway.

While advocating for gender-responsive programmes and addressing issues of domestic violence, access to education, health, economic opportunities, and access to education for women and girls, he tasked participants with prioritising innovative approaches that will meet the country’s need to empower individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency and economic stability.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Kano State commissioner for women affairs, children, and disabilities, Hajiya Aisha Saji, stressed the importance of collaboration and sharing expertise.

She urged them to develop ideas, best practices, and innovative solutions for better social welfare services and sustainable development.