..To work with States, LGAs Traditional Rulers For Accurate Data
By Dianabasi Effiong
Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, has flagged off the verification of the expanded National Social Register (NSR) in Makoko, Lagos State, South West Nigeria, with a promise to get Nigerians a social register with integrity.
The exercise, which commenced simultaneously across the country in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, will last three weeks.
Speaking shortly after she inspected the verification of the register at the remote Lagos suburb, the Minister, who was ferried to the difficult terrain in a wooden locally – built canoe, said the federal government was ready to put money into the hands of Nigerians to assist them in their businesses, livelihood and job creation.
According to the Minister, the exercise will ensure that the Federal Government’s intention to re-verify the social register for accuracy and integrity test.
She said those who were captured will be checked to know if they deserved to be on the register.
“We are here today in Makoko area of Lagos because President Ahmed Bola Tinubu has directed that we come to verify the National Social Register that is accurate and captured the people that are supposed to be on that register.
“Federal government is going to put money into the hands of Nigerians to assist them in terms of their businesses, livelihood, job creation; to help them afford some basic needs including sending their children to school and ensure that they have access to quality healthcare services.
“For us to do this, we need to verify the National Social Register, the President has approved that we go down to the grassroots and ensure that the National Social Register is a true reflection of the people who are truly poor.
“We need to verify people below one dollar 95 cent a day and in the remote areas and truly those who need help; those who have no business being there should be removed those who need to be on the register should be included.
Speaking further, Edu said: “We are doing both community targeting and geographical targeting, we have seen that certain area of Makoko have been covered by NSR, while certain area have not been captured.
“These activities we will flagged off here are being carry out across the country, and we are going to work with State Governors, Local Government Areas and Community Leaders to get NSR with Integrity result.
“We want to ensure that those who will be getting the money are those who truly needs it and not with political interference, social interference and personal reasons,” she said.
On his part, the new National Coordinator for the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), Abdulaziz Danladi, who described Dr Edu as a field and community oriented minister, said her passion for the job will be supported by all the foot soldiers.
Danladi said that strengthening the social safety nets and social protection system in the country was a core strategy to help end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity.
He explained that the core mandate of NASSCO was to lay a strong foundation of rigorous and reliable evidence of poor and vulnerable households in Nigeria which the Minister is championing.
Highpoint of the visit by the Minister, accompanied by the Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees migrants and IDPs, Mr Aliyu Tijani Ahmed and Director-General NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi and other members of the Minister’s team, was the distribution of food Items and expanded medical outreach to the vulnerable.
