2024 budget too small to alleviate poverty, says Minister
Dr Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, on Tuesday, while defending the 2024 ministry budget at the National Assembly, lamented the ministry’s paltry budget allocation, saying it can’t alleviate poverty.
Edu, during her defence, expressed her concerns before the Senator Idiat Adebule-led Senate Committee on Poverty Alleviation, noting that the sum of N532.5 billion, which represents a 28 per cent increase over the 2023 budget to cushion the effects of inflation, was grossly inadequate, adding that the 28 per cent increase in the overhead ceiling is not commensurate with the 27.33 per cent inflationary rate in the economy today.
According to her, the capital budget ceiling was reduced from N3.7 billion in 2022 to N1.328316 billion in 2023, representing a 71 per cent reduction.
To tackle poverty in line with the ministry’s mandate, Edu pleaded with the panel to look into her envelope to increase it.
The chairman of the committee, Idiat Adebule, asked whether the minister presented the budget for the Trust Fund at the budget planning stage.
Beta Edu said it was presented to the Ministry of Budget but was not included in what her ministry got.
She said: “This was clearly stated as an omission, and that is why we are asked to bring it in as a memo to the committee to see how they can consider it.”
