Dr Betta Edu, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has celebrated her 40th birthday with internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State, offering livelihood support, educational assistance, medical services and essential supplies to vulnerable families.
The humanitarian outreach, held on Tuesday at Ichwa IDP Camp in Makurdi, was part of activities marking her 40th birthday and was designed to provide practical assistance to displaced persons struggling to rebuild their lives.
The initiative featured medical outreach for more than 10,000 people across various camps, business start-up grants, scholarships for schoolchildren, vocational equipment, food and non-food items.
Betta Edu’s 40th birthday humanitarian outreach for displaced persons in Benue State.
Other empowerment components included 40 sewing machines, 40 grinding machines, 40 deep freezers, 40 mobile hair-washing kits, vocational training and the distribution of 4,000 wrappers. The programme also outlined an initiative for 40,000 academic scholarships over 10 years.
Speaking during the event, Edu said her decision to spend her birthday with displaced persons was an expression of gratitude to God and a demonstration of her commitment to serving humanity.
“Today, I am in Benue because it is my birthday. I am here to reach out to thousands of people in IDP camps across the state. This is my passion and my covenant with God and humanity,” she said.
Former Minister Dr. Betta Edu
She explained that the outreach was not politically motivated but was inspired by her desire to give back to society and support people facing difficult circumstances.
Edu recalled visiting Benue in 2023, when she met some displaced families, and said she had remained concerned about their welfare and the need to help them regain economic stability.
She said the provision of business equipment and start-up assistance was intended to enable beneficiaries to establish small businesses, earn incomes and become more self-reliant.
The educational component, she added, was designed to help displaced children access schooling, while food and other relief materials would address some of the immediate needs of their families.
Edu said the intervention was intended to complement the efforts of President Bola Tinubu, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, towards improving the welfare of displaced persons.
She also called on international organisations, development partners and well-meaning Nigerians to support the state government’s efforts to address the humanitarian situation.
According to her, lasting solutions must go beyond the distribution of relief materials to include the safe return and resettlement of displaced families in their ancestral communities.
“The real idea is to ensure that we can pull them out of here back to their ancestral homes and permanently settle so they can be productive and support Nigeria with food,” she said.
Former Minister Dr. Betta Edu
The event generated excitement among beneficiaries, with women, youths and other residents expressing appreciation for the assistance and offering prayers for Edu.
The intervention highlighted the importance of combining emergency relief with education, healthcare and economic empowerment to help displaced communities move towards recovery and sustainable livelihoods.
One thought on “Betta Edu @ 40: Former Minister Empowers Benue IDPs With Grants, Scholarships, Medical Care”
One thought on “Betta Edu @ 40: Former Minister Empowers Benue IDPs With Grants, Scholarships, Medical Care”