Betta Edu: The New Alpha Female Changing the Face of Governance

Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, is showing herself to be a cornerstone for growth and development in Nigeria. Having served in this capacity for about two months now, Edu gives convincing evidence that the ministry can be relied on to revitalise some of the failing aspects of the Nigerian economy.

The most recent example of Dr. Edu’s competence in governance is the N-Power scheme. With the news that the scheme had been suspended, tensions arose regarding the fate of Nigerians employed by the scheme. However, Edu arose and settled the concerns about the future of these Nigerians, outlining structured plans for their resettlement.

To be sure, Edu has been doing well for a while now, although mostly keeping her work under wraps. This has indeed been the case since 2015 when she was appointed by Cross River State governor, Benedict Ayade, as the Special Adviser on Community and Primary Healthcare, the youngest to hold such a pivotal position.

But Edu did not disappoint in dispensing her duties in that role. As a consequence, she was appointed the Chairman of the Cross River State COVID-19 Task Force in 2020 and went on to become the National Chairman of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum in that same year.

Before Edu was appointed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, she held the enviable yet arduous position of the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the youngest ever to do so. Unsurprisingly, this yielded significant results in the form of an increased interest and participation of women in politics in Nigeria following her appointment.

In her current capacity as minister, Edu is already doing fine and earning the respect of Nigerians at home and abroad. Given enough time, she could be one of the country’s top economic and political pillars.