Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Raises Alarm over Inadequate Budget for 2024
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, voiced significant concerns during her appearance before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to defend the 2024 budget.
Chairing the committee, Senator Idiat Adebule presided over a session that brought to light the ministry’s struggle with what Edu deemed an insufficient budget to effectively combat poverty in Nigeria.
Edu revealed that her ministry had been allocated an overhead ceiling of N532.5bn, reflecting a 28 per cent increase from the 2023 budget.
However, she argued that this increment did not adequately address the economic challenges posed by the current 27.33 per cent inflation rate.
The minister highlighted that the capital budget ceiling suffered a severe blow, experiencing a 71 per cent reduction from N3.7bn in 2022 to N1.328316bn in 2023.
Expressing her reservations, Edu stated, “The pittance capital ceiling of N1.535b, while an increase from the current year’s budget, does not in any way match with the mandate of the ministry’s headquarters to shrink poverty in Nigeria.”
Drawing attention to the stark contrast between the mandates and budgetary allocations, Edu emphasized the necessity for a more realistic approach to address the pressing issue of poverty.
She pleaded with the committee to thoroughly reconsider the budget, ensuring it aligns with the genuine needs on the ground.
In a candid appeal, Edu stressed, “Except the budget is appropriate for it, we would be completely unable to meet that mandate. It will be words that would not be matched with actions.”
She further urged the committee to delve beyond the surface and reassess the current budget to make it more reasonable and reflective of the realities faced by Nigerians.
Edu concluded by pointing out the ministry’s various special projects, intending to leverage these initiatives and their associated agencies to meet the ambitious poverty reduction targets.
Source: Vanguard News
