Nigerian Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has stated that credibility in the implementation of government programmes results in citizens not only being well-informed but also trusting in the intentions and activities of the government.
Idris stated this during a courtesy call by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, in his office on Tuesday October 3, 2023, as contained in statement released by the Ministry of information and National Orientation.
The Minister highlighted that his ministry has crucial role in publicizing government programs of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, assuring the visiting minister of the full support of the ministry in disseminating its mandate.
He noted further, that publicity will encourage citizens to actively appreciate, engage and benefit from the programmes of the Ministry.
He lauded the minister for her visit and assured her that the ministry would collaborate to make her outing successful.
Earlier in her address, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, stated that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made commitments through an eight-point agenda, at the top of which is food security and ending poverty, which is in line with SDG 1 and 2, thus refocusing the mandate of her ministry to include poverty alleviation.
She explained that her mandate is now two-pronged: firstly, preventing people from falling into humanitarian crises, and secondly, ensuring that those who are in crisis are pulled out of it.
Dr. Edu said her job is critical because of millions of people implicated in the multi-dimensional poverty in Nigeria, with dire needs for shelter, health care, nutrition, and housing.
She said it is essential to publicize the activities of the ministry because what is not reported is considered not done.
“We need reportage; we need to build the confidence of the populace in the government; we need to seal the communication gap between the government and the people it governs.”
“We want to run a transparent system and the only thing that can make us transparent and give us that level of accountability before Nigerians is the fact that whatever we do, we tell Nigerians about it.” She said. Dr. Edu was accompanied on the visit by officials of the ministry.