The Honourable Minister Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has described the Ministry’s 2022 Management Retreat as a period of stock taking and winding down to understudy the level of implementation and impact on the various programmes of the Ministry including the National Social Investment Programme.
She made the statement at the Opening Ceremony of the maiden management retreat of the Ministry with the theme “Strengthening Social inclusion for improved living standards of Nigerians” held at the Nigeria Air Force Center, in Abuja.
Farouq stated that since after the establishment of the Ministry in 2019 it has not deviated from its vision to create sustainable and inclusive social systems that promote human dignity in Nigeria and that the effect of the natural disasters and man-made crisis have deprived millions of vulnerable and poor people of basic human needs which results in worsening humanitarian crises.
She identified Climate change as a factor that contributes to the humanitarian situation, worsening flood and drought that depletes arable land resources in the country.
Speaking further Farouq said that the Ministry has developed policies and plans that positively impact the victims of these crises and alleviate their conditions in line with the vision and commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
She stated that one of the key points of the present administration has to do with Internally Displaced Person’s (IDPs) which the administration has developed the National Policy on IDPs. She said the National Policy is an instrument that guides stakeholders on Managing the affairs of the affected individuals and the policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2021.
The Honourable Minister informed that the policy incorporates the provisions of the Kampala Convention on IDPs in Africa and the administration is currently in the process of domesticating the convention through a standalone legislation.
She further stated that the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) is a flagship initiative of the present administration designed to tackle the issues of poverty, unemployment and other vulnerabilities which are implemented across the 36 States of the Federation and FCT. She outlined the progremmes to include:
1) Job creation unit (N-Power)
2) National Home grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP)
3) Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme (GEEP)
4) Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT)
She informed that through N-Power programme, govt has empowered over 1 million Nigerian youth from 2015 till date which comprises of graduates and non graduates especially the vulnerable ones.
She encouraged the participants to demonstrate serious commitment to the retreat and come up a standard communique that will recommend ways of strengthening the organizational structure and service delivering compact of the Ministry.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, mni, NPOM, said the aim of the Retreat is to assess the Ministry’s journey in relation to the mandate for improved service delivery and that the retreat is also designed to analyze the level of implementation of the National Investment Programme (NSIP), in order to identify the existing challenges, define strategies for the improvement of the wellbeing of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
The Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Raphael Oraeluno, in his context setting speech, said that after the Ministry was created in 2019, Minister did not wait for the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation structure before hitting the ground running and that commitment had paid off, looking at the plethora of accomplish strides and milestone. He describe the Ministry as one of the fastest moving ministries.
He said the participants are expected to xray and assess the journey so far, identify the gap and then proffer solutions.
There were Goodwill messages from the Agencies such as: NEMA, NCWD. NEDC, NAPTIP, NCFRMI and SDG’s.
The 2-day Retreat is the assembly of the Management staff of the Ministry and its Agencies to brainstorm on ways of improving the actualization of the mandate of the Ministry and will hold from 25th-26th August, 2022.
Rhoda Ishaku Iliya
DD (Information)
