The United Nations Children’s Agency, UNICEF, has announced its commitment to providing $270 million to support Nigeria’s endeavours in humanitarian aid and poverty alleviation. Executives from UNICEF, Christian Munduate and Eduardo Celades, conveyed this pledge during a meeting held on Tuesday.
At the meeting in Abuja, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, informed UNICEF about President Bola Tinubu’s governmental aspiration to raise 133 million citizens above the poverty line. However, a specific timeline for achieving this goal was not specified.
UNICEF outlined its intention to aid in the establishment of a humanitarian emergency operation centre, aimed at monitoring, mitigating, and preventing emergencies. Additionally, the agency will assist the ministry in enhancing the capabilities of its personnel.
Edu emphasised the government’s focus on approximately 71 million “extremely poor Nigerians” living on less than $1.95 per day. She stressed the urgency of the situation, stating, “We must act swiftly to implement social programmes that alleviate the hardships faced by the impoverished.”
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is grappling with significant challenges such as mounting debt, unemployment, and security concerns, which have contributed to a prolonged period of sluggish growth.
In a report last year, the World Bank noted that sluggish growth, deficiencies in human capital, weaknesses within the labour market, and vulnerability to shocks are hindering Nigeria’s efforts to reduce poverty.
