Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, has urged Nentawe Yilwatda, the newly appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, to leverage financial technology to ensure the Federal Government’s support reaches vulnerable populations nationwide.
Ndume, who has served in the National Assembly for over 20 consecutive years, cautioned Yilwatda to be mindful of the issues that led to the removal of his predecessor, Betta Edu, and to avoid similar pitfalls.
Speaking on Wednesday during the screening of the Plateau State ministerial nominee, Ndume emphasized the critical role of the humanitarian ministry, noting that approximately 60% of Nigerians live in poverty and that Yilwatda’s appointment comes amid growing global concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.
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“You know the circumstance that led to the relief of your predecessor. My question now is that as the first man to be appointed as humanitarian minister. What would you do as a case of emergency to make sure that the humanitarian crisis that we are facing, and are likely to face more, will be addressed?” Ndume asked.
“Fortunately, you are an ICT person. How do you intend to do that? That will give us a lot of comfort.”
In response to Senator Ndume and other senators who raised questions, the nominee pledged to leverage technology and innovation to address the nation’s humanitarian challenges.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio then invited the nominee to take a bow.
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Hailing from Plateau State, Yilwatda is a COREN-registered engineer, a community developer, and a lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi, Benue State.
Appointed as a Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017, Yilwatda served as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State.
President Bola Tinubu recently appointed Yilwatda to replace Betta Edu, who was suspended in January 2024 following allegations of approving a N585 million disbursement into a personal account.
Edu denied the claims, attributing them to attempts to damage her reputation and insisting she would not misappropriate government funds.
Interestingly, Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, had also faced scrutiny over alleged laundering of N37.1 billion during her term under former President Buhari.
With Nigeria’s struggling economy, rising inflation, and worsening security, President Tinubu has faced mounting criticism regarding his ministers’ performance over the past 15 months.
Responding to the calls for a cabinet overhaul, he dismissed five ministers, reassigned ten, and appointed seven new ones.
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