UNICEF to commit $270m for humanitarian response in Nigeria

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) plans to support Nigeria’s humanitarian and poverty reduction initiatives with $270 million as well as to assist in the establishment of an emergency operations center, according to its officials.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu told UNICEF executives Christian Munduate and Eduardo Celades at a meeting in Abuja that President Bola Tinubu’s administration plans to bring 133 million citizens out of poverty without providing a timeline to achieve the goal.

UNICEF stated that it will support the development of a humanitarian emergency operation center to help monitor, mitigate, and avoid emergencies, as well as assist the ministry in building capacity for its personnel.

The newly sworn-in minister however stressed stated that the government will target approximately 71 million “extremely poor Nigerians” since “time is of the essence.”

“We need to run at the speed of light to roll out social programs that will bring relief to the burdens of the poor,” she said.

Nigeria is battling with high inflation, record debt, unemployment, and insecurity due to poor economic growth.