Tinubu approves $5bn humanitarian and poverty allocation trust fund – FEC

President Bola Tinubu has approved the sum of $5 billion for the committee on humanitarian and poverty alleviation trust fund to ensure to address all humanitarian crises such as flood and other natural disasters.

The humanitarian minister, Beta Edu, disclosed this on Monday after the Federal Executive Council meeting with President Tinubu at the state house in Abuja.

The minister explained that the trust fund would help Nigeria to adequately respond to humanitarian crises and challenges as well as adequately address the issue of poverty in Nigeria.

Speaking further, she said the committee would include the involvement and participation of the Minister for Finance and other ministers that are relevant to the process.

She said “The council approved for the humanitarian and poverty alleviation trust fund to actually be put together under a governing board and then of course, the implementation of that humanitarian and poverty, would be carefully worked out by members of the committee.

“Of course it will involve the Minister for Finance and other ministers that are relevant to the process. This is a flexible form of financing that is supposed to help Nigeria adequately respond to humanitarian crises and challenges as well as adequately address the issue of poverty in Nigeria. This of course is a victory for the poor and indeed, would bring help and succor which the renewed hope agenda stands for.”

She also disclosed that the council agreed on decisions to ratify the protocol on the protection of the rights of older persons in Nigeria.

“We have signed up to the African charter and this has made us one of the countries within Africa that has approved that older people be protected and should not be discriminated against at any level. And this gives them a lot of protection and the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is interested in their welfare and protecting their rights.”