Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Appeals for Increased 2025 Budget Allocation

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged the National Assembly to allocate additional funds to his ministry in the 2025 budget.

Speaking on Friday during the review of the 2024 budget and the defence of the 2025 proposal with the Joint Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, Yilwatda highlighted the growing need for resources to address critical humanitarian and poverty-related challenges.

He emphasized that the ministry has a mandate to:

  • Create 2 million jobs in 2025 through various initiatives.
  • Train 50,000 unemployed graduates and non-graduates under the Skill2Wealth Initiative.
  • Provide starter packs to over 110,000 beneficiaries to promote self-reliance and entrepreneurship.

Rising Humanitarian Needs

Yilwatda pointed to increasing humanitarian demands driven by climate-related disasters, conflicts, and crises such as flooding, fires, and insurgencies, which have displaced millions. He also noted that global donor support has declined, with most aid redirected to crises in the Middle East, Sudan, and Ukraine.

Budget Concerns

The minister argued that the proposed ₦4.6 billion capital budget was insufficient to tackle the ministry’s objectives, including reducing multi-dimensional poverty by 50% in four years. He proposed creating additional budget lines to support intervention programs addressing poverty, acute malnutrition, and humanitarian emergencies.

He also appealed for an increase in the ₦8.8 billion capital budget allocated to the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), citing the lack of overhead funding as a significant limitation.

Calls for Legislative Support

Yilwatda urged the National Assembly to support the ministry’s programs, stressing that such efforts align with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Together, we can make a lasting impact on millions of lives and secure a brighter future for our country,” he said.

Legislative Response

Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, alongside other committee members, promised to review the proposed budgets for the ministry and NSIPA. Similarly, Abdulkadir Tijani Yobe, Chairman of the House Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, commended the ministry’s efforts and pledged to evaluate their funding requests.