More Than 40m Nigerians Are Unemployed: Minister

Sadiya Farouk
Sadiya Farouk

The minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Umar Farouq has revealed that over 40 million Nigerians are unemployed.

The minister said this when she appeared before the House Committee on women affairs and social development to defend the ministry’s 2020 budget proposal.

According to her,  agencies under the ministry’s supervision include; the National Commission for Refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons (NCR), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Social Investment Office (NSIO), the North East Development Commission (NEDC), the office of the senior special assistant to the president on sustainable development goals, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

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She explained that the proposed 2020 budget for the ministry is N3,582,102,000, comprising N499, 975,000 for recurrent expenditure and N3,082,127,000 for capital expenditure.

Umar Farouk noted also that half of Nigeria’s population live in extreme poverty while adding that the ministry has the responsibility of addressing some of the “underlining causes, drivers and consequences of humanitarian crises and underdevelopment” in the country.