The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has revealed the Federal Government’s intention to collaborate closely with state governors, local governments, and community leaders to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the country’s social register.
This initiative is aimed at supporting the Humanitarian Ministry’s ambitious plan to uplift millions of Nigerians from poverty.
Edu made this announcement during a TV interview .
She emphasized that the objective is to enhance the social register through verification and updates, with active participation from various levels of governance.
“We are going to verify and update, and we are going to work with the governors and local governments so that they can own it,” Edu stated.
The minister outlined the primary step in this process, which involves a comprehensive verification of the social register.
This verification will ensure that the individuals listed truly belong to the most economically vulnerable segment of society and merit the support.
In recent weeks, discussions have transpired between the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and other stakeholders concerning the validity of the existing social register. Edu acknowledged these concerns, noting, “The social register is okay, it’s not okay. The people who are truly poor are not on the list, there is some political influence to it and the rest of it.”
Previous criticisms from the National Executive Council (NEC) Governors questioned the integrity of the social register and its suitability for executing social interventions.
Edu highlighted the necessity of involving local government officials, governors, traditional rulers, and religious leaders in the process.
This collaborative approach, she explained, would ensure a sense of ownership and accuracy in the data collection process.
“As a country, we have to have ownership of whatever data that we are bringing out from the grassroots.
The local government people, the governors must be involved, traditional rulers and even the religious leaders should be involved,” Edu emphasized.
By working through this model, Edu believes that leaders at various levels of governance will be able to validate the accuracy of the data and confirm the eligibility of individuals listed in the social register.
Upon collaboration with the NEC, Edu envisions greater acceptance of the social register, stating, “They will accept it because it is their own product now.”
Edu conveyed the ministry’s commitment to working closely with the NEC to verify, update, and improve the social register.
This concerted effort aims to empower national, state, and local governments to take ownership of the data, thereby facilitating more effective implementation of social safety net interventions for impoverished Nigerians.
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