By Ademola Damilola
Dr. Beta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, expressed concern on Tuesday about the insufficient allocation to her ministry in the 2024 budget, stating that the allocated amount is not adequate to combat poverty in the country.
During the defense of her ministry’s 2024 budget before the Joint National Assembly Committee of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, chaired by Senator Idiat Adebule (APC Lagos Central), Edu outlined the challenges faced by her ministry.
She highlighted that her ministry received an overhead ceiling of N532.5 billion, which represents a 28 percent increase over the 2023 budget. Edu acknowledged that this increase was intended to mitigate the effects of inflation, which stands at 27.33 percent in the current economic climate.
However, she emphasized that the capital budget ceiling faced a significant reduction, decreasing from N3.7 billion in 2022 to N1.328316 billion in 2023—a 71 percent reduction. Edu expressed dissatisfaction with the minimal increase in the capital ceiling to N1.535 billion in the 2024 budget, stating that it does not align with the ministry’s mandate to alleviate poverty in Nigeria.
Edu pleaded with the committee, chaired by Senator Adebule, to reconsider and carefully review the budget allocation. She stressed that tackling poverty in Nigeria requires a more substantial budget that aligns with the ministry’s mandate and the expectations placed on them.
In conclusion, Edu urged the committee to go beyond their regular oversight and ensure that the budget reflects the realities on the ground, allowing the ministry to effectively fulfill its mandate to lift Nigerians out of poverty.
