FG to Link Social Register to NIN Amid Humanitarian Crisis

The Federal Government is working to integrate the National Social Register (NSR) with the National Identity Number (NIN) system to enhance crisis response efforts.

Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda stated that this linkage will enable faster resource mobilization, improved aid targeting, and better crisis anticipation.

He emphasized that streamlined data access would eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, replacing outdated systems with efficient solutions.

Speaking at yesterday’s National Humanitarian Roundtable in Abuja, Yilwatda cited funding constraints and bureaucratic delays as major obstacles in addressing humanitarian emergencies.
He said: “People are traumatised by climate change, security threats and economic shock across the country and in the midst of these, we have limited funding.

“The biggest crisis we have is not just the people being killed, it is a bureaucratic crisis that does not respond to a humanitarian crisis.

‘’Every delay in decision-making, every inefficiency in coordination, every shortfall in funding, costs the life of people.

“They say knowledge is power, but knowledge can be destructive too. It can only be power if we use it effectively. By leveraging data and technology, we can anticipate crises; we can mobilise resources faster and ensure aids reach those who are in need the most.

“We are linking the social register to national identity numbers and geo-tagging all homes of those who are vulnerable across the country so that if there’s any crisis, we don’t need to begin to walk around communities and taking names and asking state Emergency Management Agencies and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for data. ‘’From the comfort of our offices and other offices under my office, we can respond immediately.”

Yilwatda also said there is a need to adopt flexible financing mechanisms for swift response to humanitarian issues because traditional funding models are slow.

His words: “We must adopt innovative and adaptive humanitarian financing. Traditional funding models are too slow for the urgency of the humanitarian crisis. I’m sure the Minister of Budget will craft a model of funding of humanitarian system in Nigeria that will respond to the gaps that we are having from international donors.

“We must create flexible financing mechanisms that allow for rapid disbursement and adaptive response, ensuring that aid is not stalled by bureaucratic policies.

Budget and Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Bagudu restated that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is meant to create a macro-economy that would generate resources to ‘’fund our challenges.’’

Bagudu said: “We are quite aware that grants and aids can only go so far to support and correct temporary ad-hoc disturbances, but what we are looking for is the evolution of sustainable funding.’’

He said the government was working with a long-term funding committee to get more resources to address humanitarian needs.

“Flooding and drought are major drivers of humanitarian issues and they accentuate poverty.

‘’If we have long-term capital that can fund irrigation, poverty will reduce in many places, humanitarian intervention will be localised, and the local economy will be made to work for all.”

United Nations Resident Representative in Nigeria Mohammed Fall listed floods, drought, violent conflicts, insurgency and banditry as factors limiting the country’s potential.

He added that Nigeria has 30 million people facing food insecurity and over 3.5 million displaced.

Fall said: “With an overall 60 per cent reduction in global contribution to aid, we have seen reductions in humanitarian financing, but the recent months have brought even more drastic cuts and it is time for us to think creatively about alternative financing.

“We must focus on a newly generating fund for humanitarian development and peace initiative, including closer cooperation with the private sector, international financial institutions, and greater reliance on internally generated revenue among other options.”

Head of the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Trond Jensen, said stakeholders should set new targets and adjust because of the reduction in humanitarian aid in the country.

He said globally, over $50 billion is required to meet the needs of 190 million people.