Residents of the Ushafa community in Bwari Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and many other subrubs played host to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, as she engaged market women and petty traders ahead of the launch of the IYALOJA MONIE next month. The programme targets at least 1.5 million Nigerians.
Excitement was palpable in the air as the residents trooped out in their numbers to join the minister as she moved from one petty trader’s table to the next. She interacted freely with those whom the interventions are meant for.
“The Iyaloja Market Fund,” (IYALOJA MONIE), the non interest loan of N50,000 would be given to Phase 1 of market traders, selected from 109 markets in every senatorial zone. Edu: said President Bola Tinubu truly means well for the country and had promised to remove Nigerians from multi-dimensional poverty and humanitarian crises. He is matching words with action.”
At another community engagement, attended by traditional rulers, youths, women, the aged, petty traders and physically challenged persons, food, and other items were distributed to the poor and vulnerable households as part of her birthday celebrations.
She said the items were in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu government aimed at reducing multi-dimensional poverty. The minister monitored the inclusion of older people in the community, who have been captured to be part of the on going Conditional Cash Transfer.
Mabel Imeh Odiegwu, a tailor; Hassan Yakubu, a petty trader and Esther Isa, also a trader, said they were taken aback by the presence of the minister in their community as such had never happened before.
They expressed gratitude to Tinubu for the renewed attention on the poor and the vulnerable, noting that with speed of implementation, a lot was going to change for the better in Nigeria: “We commend the minister who spent her birthday with us in our community. We are convinced that truly the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President is real and has touched us.”