Adedokun Waliyu 
The Canadian government has pledged to support Nigeria with $18 million to address the different humanitarian responses bedevilling the nation and tackling poverty.
The High Commissioner of the government of Canada, Jamie Christoff, disclosed this during a meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu. Ambassador Christoff highlighted that the financial support would be specifically earmarked for assisting disadvantaged women and young girls throughout Nigeria.
He lauded the creation of the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund, recognizing it as a constructive initiative that promotes better collaboration with the government.
In response, Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, expressed gratitude for the visit and affirmed her commitment to a collaborative working relationship with the High Commissioner.
Dr. Edu underscored President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dedication to significantly tackling poverty and humanitarian responses in Nigeria by 2030, aligning with the SDG target.
She reassured the High Commissioner that the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund would be managed transparently to address emergency humanitarian responses and poverty-related issues in Nigeria.
The Minister called for a re-examination of contributions to Nigeria by all humanitarian partners, emphasizing the necessity for sustainable solutions to the country’s challenges.
Dr. Edu pledged an accountable implementation process to prevent redundancy and resource wastage, advocating for a more effective approach to achieve better outcomes.
Nigeria is battling various humanitarian crises and high poverty prevalence rates across the country primarily due to insecurity and recent natural disasters. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, the number of displaced persons at 3.6million as of 2022.
To address this humanitarian crisis, the federal government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs approved the establishment of a $5 billion annual humanitarian and poverty alleviation trust fund.
The Minister stated that the federal government will provide 30% of the fund, while the private sector and donor agencies will contribute the remaining 70%.
