By Chimezie Godfrey
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, has said that the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction is a critical platform for coordinating humanitarian response and poverty reduction efforts across Nigeria.
Doro made the statement while delivering a keynote address on Thursday at the maiden National Council meeting in Calabar, Cross River State.
He said the council was not symbolic but a strong institutional mechanism for harmonising interventions and eliminating duplication.
“The National Council is not symbolic, but an institutional vehicle for harmonising humanitarian and poverty reduction interventions,” he said.
The minister recalled that the ministry was established in 2019 to address rising humanitarian crises, displacement, and social vulnerability.
He highlighted the ministry’s interventions through agencies such as the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Refugee Commission, Persons with Disabilities Commission, National Senior Citizens Centre, and the SDGs Office.
According to him, the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme has reached over 8.3 million households, benefiting more than 35 million Nigerians.
He added that plans were underway to expand the programme to 15 million households nationwide.
Minister of State, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, described the council as a milestone in Nigeria’s quest for equity and social justice.
“Humanitarian service is a privilege that must be pursued with compassion and diligence,” Sununu said.
Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Peter Agbe Odey, said poverty remained a major driver of insecurity in the country.
“Defeating poverty will significantly reduce social vices and instability,” Odey stated.
He listed challenges in the state, including refugees, flooding, erosion, and rural poverty.
Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs in the state, Dr. Helen Agan Isamoh, described the council as historic.
“This council marks a defining moment in Nigeria’s humanitarian governance,” she said.
Reacting, ministry spokesperson, Chinyere A. Ulasi, said the resolutions would be implemented nationwide.
“The ministry remains committed to translating these outcomes into concrete actions,” Ulasi stated.
National Council Key to Ending Poverty, Crises — Doro
