Humanitarian Trust Funds: Edu Rallies Support from Private Sector, Engages Chevron, MTN, Others

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has begun engagements with the private sector to achieve their buy-in and contributions towards release funds for the recently approved Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Funds.

The Trust Fund is a flexible form of financing that is designed to help Nigeria adequately respond to humanitarian crises, emergencies and internal displacement challenges.

As part of the process, the minister met yesterday with the General Manager Policy Govt, and Public Affairs, Mr Esimaje Brikinn and Mr Sam Daibo, Director,Government Affairs following a brief engagement with the President of Chevron Clay Neff in New York on the side lines of UNGA78.
Commitment was elicited from Chevron on expected support to Nigeria on humanitarian and poverty alleviation, especially in the Niger Delta. The fine details will be worked out in subsequent meetings.

The minister also held a strategic meeting with Mr Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief corporate Services officer ahead of the meeting with the MTN foundation on their support to the Trust Fund which will be used for Humanitarian Response and Poverty alleviation in the country.

The Regional Head of UNHCR and the acting country director has also pledged their commitment in the support of the Nigerian government to achieve results.

This innovation by President Bola Tinubu administration has been described by many as another knock out punch to Poverty and humanitarian crises in the country as it provides a readily available pool of funds from Government, Private sector, other countries, Philanthropic individuals in addressing the National social safety programs targeted at poverty alleviation as well as humanitarian emergencies with out bureaucratic bottle necks, setting Nigeria at a global stage ready for action.