Group seeks internatio
…Commends Minister of Humanitarian Affairs
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
A group, Conference of Civil Society of Nigeria (CCSN), has called on the public, international community, the United Nations, bilateral and multilateral partners to support humanitarian response in Nigeria, especially as the country is working towards defeating the current menace of insecurity.
The group has similarly commended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, over her response to the economic and security challenges facing the country.
The CCSN spoke at a press conference in Abuja yesterday.
The group noted that the Government Economic Enterprises Program (GEEP) with focus on providing financial inclusion and access to micro-credit for Nigerians at the bottom of the economic pyramid, has impacted the lives of many Nigerians through the MarketMoni, TraderMoni and FarmerMoni.
The nation,it will be recalled, has in the last few years, been faced with insecurity, which resulted in the devastation of agricultural production, decline in economic fortune due to the negative impact of COCID-19 and also the global food shortage due to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
These developments had prompted strategic responses by the federal government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under the leadership of Farouq.
The Chairperson of CCSN, Adams Otakwu said that the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) with focus on providing access to targeted tranfers to poor and vulnerable household under an expanded nationak social safety nets system, has significantly improved many household consumption, increase utilization of health and nutrition services.
Otakwu also explained that the National Home Grown School Feeding Program has had valuable impact and significantly improved the health and educational outcomes of primary school pulpils, adding, “it has as well improved enrollment of primary school children and stimulate local agricultural production.”
He said that there has been successful operations to enhance partnership amongst stakeholders for securing and reducing road transport accident, noting that that signing of the city with refugees declaration in 2021 distribution of relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the country have significantly relieved refugees stress by over 70 percent.
The Chairperson, who disclosed that over five thousand Nigerian refugees have been voluntarily repatriated and resettled, lamented the challenges faced by the Humanitarian ministry.
According to him, “We however note the challenges posed by the current security challenges on the success of these interventions by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under the leadership of Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq.
“The ravaging insecurity makes humanitarian operations difficult. Supply routes in most parts are interrupted by terrorists and bandits who pose high security risk to humanitarian staff and materials.”
The group, has, however, called on the public, international community, the United Nations, bilateral and multilateral partners to support humanitarian response in Nigeria, especially as the country grapples to defeat the current menace of insecurity.
END
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