The Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI), an international non-governmental organisation with consultative status of ECOSOC /United Nations, has congratulated Dr. Betta Edu on her appointment by President Bola Tinubu as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
According to a statement jointly released by the President, Olufemi Aduwo, and the Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Gbeminiyi Onabanjo, on Tuesday, Edu’s appointment to such a crucial ministry by the President is a great testament to her capability and prowess in the humanitarian service, both in the private and public sector.
“We are confident that Dr. Edu would elevate the activities of the Ministry during her tenure as Minister. Her nomination has shown that indeed Nigeria is blessed with young and capable professionals who, given the chance, can be trusted with positions of power.
The statement adds that the government’s dedication to solving humanitarian and poverty-related issues, which are crucial concerns for Nigeria, is demonstrated by the appointment of a young person as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. This, it stresses, may result in more people becoming aware of problems associated with poverty, more resources being allocated, and the creation of policies that guarantee rapid development, suggesting that achieving this goal will require coordinated efforts, targeted interventions, for IDPs, women, children, and marginalised communities, disaster response, and preparedness.
The organization is confident that Nigeria can develop a more thorough and effective strategy in addressing the immediate needs and underlying causes of poverty and humanitarian crises owing to the ministry that is focused on human rights and poverty alleviation being run by a young person, which will improve the country’s citizens’ quality of life and well-being. The statement cited the ministry’s duties which include creating humanitarian policies and effectively coordinating both domestic and foreign humanitarian efforts and charged the new minister to give attention to these responsibilities as “success in this area of humanitarian management is highly dependent on the cooperation of government agencies, civil society organisations, and development partners who have specialised knowledge of the subject”.
As the coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, the organization stated that Prof. Ali Muhammad Pate and Edu, serving in the same government, is a positive development for the nation. Prof. Ali, the statement notes, worked for the World Bank before being appointed by the Tinubu-led government, and had held various top roles in Nigeria and overseas, serving on a number of boards with health-related focuses in the governmental, private and not-for-profit sectors.
In another development, the organisation hailed President Tinubu for establishing a dedicated ministry to drive the development of the blue economy and marine resources.
“The estimated value of Nigeria’s untapped blue economy potential is a remarkable $296 billion. This figure underscores the immense prospects within the sector, offering the potential to generate substantial employment opportunities, mainly catering to the burgeoning youth population, they highlighted. For a nation with sizable coastal areas, establishing a ministry of the blue economy and marine resources can have several benefits.
The ministry has the potential for integrated resource management for resource extraction and utilisation, setting regulations, quotas, and guidelines to prevent overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution. It is a catalyst for economic growth, research and innovation, tourism and recreation, biodiversity conservation, international collaboration, and stakeholder engagement. The blue economy approach aligns perfectly with sustainable development goals, offering a pragmatic avenue for addressing pressing issues such as climate change and environmental vulnerabilities,” the statement emphasised.
