Coalition of Nigerian Civil Society Organisations have called for increased funding for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster management and Social Development and N-Power to further cushion the impact of Covid-19 on Nigerian youths, vulnerable and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The Coalition, while hailing the ministry for including skill acquisition in the N-Power programme, noted that the Ministry has touched so many lives positively within a short period, especially after Covid-19 pandemic entered Nigeria, adding that more funds will enable it cater for Nigerians who have suffered job loss, and address humanitarian and economic challenges post Covid-19.
Addressing the media in Kaduna on Tuesday, leaders of the Coalition, President of Unified Nigerian Youth Forum, Comrade Abdulsalam Mohammed Kazeem; President of Project Excel Nigerian, Comrade Eric Joseph and Speaker of Odua Youth Parliament, Comrade Abdulmajeed Oyeniyi, said post Covid-19 could increase insecurity across Nigeria due to job loss and other economic challenges, if urgent steps were not taken to cushion the impact.
“We commend the Minister and her team for successfully flagging off the Batch C Npower enrolment exercise, which is registering over 100 applications per second and over 1.3 millions Nigerians in less than 72 hours. The feedback we are getting from youths across the country has been very positive and the Ministry has remained responsive to all the minor challenges arising from the registration.
“We also salute the courage of the Minister, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq to reform the N-Power program by introducing technology and creative skills acquisition components into the program. This would build a skilled youth population that do not need white collar jobs to earn a living. We understand that the trainees would access start ups at the end of their training.
“The Ministry, in the humanitarian angle, has responded positively with palliatives delivered to various state governments and organisations across the country. All state governments and FCT have received truckloads of food items for distribution to citizens, women organisations, physically challenged groups, orphanages and religious bodies.”
The Coalition lauded “the positive impact of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under the leadership of Hajiya Sadiya Umar since she assumed office. Our dear nation is undergoing a storm and stress occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic that is changing the face of human society and it’s system from healthcare to education and indeed the economy.
“The Minister is working on a daily basis to cushion the impact of Covid-19 through unprecedented humanitarian interventions, mitigating effects of human and natural disaster, while attending to the plight of the physically challenged. She has also responded to numerous fire disasters across the country.
“The Farm Craft Center for the Blind was reopened after two years of closure, where 40 trainees have so far been trained. The Ministry has also sought and got President Buhari to sign the Discrimination Against persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act into law,” the Coalition said.
