FG to establish Trust Fund for poor Nigerians – Minister

Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has unveiled the Federal Government’s intentions to create a Presidential Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund.

She shared this revelation during a meeting in Abuja with representatives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr. Edu emphasized the importance of prioritizing humanitarian response and poverty alleviation, highlighting the significant financial support required for programme implementation.

She attributed the humanitarian crises in Nigeria to both natural disasters and man-made factors.

The minister praised the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for its consistent support for humanitarian causes in Africa and urged the foundation to continue its valuable contributions.

She expressed optimism about the government’s commitment to aiding vulnerable Nigerians impacted by humanitarian crises through various interventions.

Jeremie Zoungrana, the Country Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, affirmed the foundation’s readiness to collaborate closely with the ministry in addressing Nigeria’s major humanitarian challenges. He also expressed the foundation’s interest in engaging with various stakeholders in the sector to achieve their objectives.

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Zoungrana stressed the foundation’s commitment to creating economic opportunities to reduce poverty through initiatives in agriculture, financial inclusion, and digital innovation. He acknowledged the importance of technical assistance to shape the agenda for their Programme in partnership with the ministry and commended the minister’s efforts in engaging critical stakeholders to provide support to those in need.