ABUJA: The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, plans to commit $270 million to Nigeria’s humanitarian and poverty alleviation efforts and pledged to help set up an emergency operation center, its executives said on Tuesday.
The government of President Bola Tinubu wants to lift 133 million citizens out of poverty, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu told UNICEF executives Christian Munduate and Eduardo Celades at a meeting in Abuja.
Edu did not provide a timeline for achieving the target.
UNICEF said the agency will support the establishment of a humanitarian emergency operation center that will help monitor, mitigate and prevent emergencies, and also help the ministry build capacity for its staff.
Edu said the government will target about 71 million “extremely poor Nigerians” who live on less than $1.95 a day because “time is of essence.”
“We need to run at the speed of light to roll out social programs that will bring relief to the burdens of the poor,” she said.
Africa’s largest economy is struggling with record debt, unemployment, and insecurity that have contributed to years of anaemic growth.
Sluggish growth, low human capital, labor market weaknesses, and exposure to shocks are holding Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts back, the World Bank said in report last year.
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UNICEF to commit $270 million to support poverty alleviation in Nigeria
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UNICEF to commit $270 million to support poverty alleviation in Nigeria
- UNICEF said the agency will support the establishment of a humanitarian emergency operation center that will help monitor, mitigate and prevent emergencies
EU reconsidering funds for Serbia as justice laws ‘eroding trust’
BELGRADE: The European Union could withhold funds from a 1.6 billion euro allocation of loans and grants to Serbia, after Belgrade passed laws that are “eroding trust” in its commitment to the rule of law, the bloc’s enlargement commissioner said.
Reforms to centralize the judiciary that came into force this week brought criticism from judges and prosecutors who see them as bolstering President Aleksandar Vucic’s hold on power, weakening the fight against organized crime and undermining Serbia’s bid to join the EU.
“These amendments are eroding trust. It is becoming harder for those in Brussels who are willing to advance with Serbia to make their case,” EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said in emailed comments to Reuters late on Thursday.
Kos said the commission was reviewing funding for Serbia under the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, aimed at aligning the region to EU rules and ultimately bringing countries such as Serbia into the bloc. Serbia was allocated 1.6 billion euros of loans and grants under the program.
“These (funds) contain preconditions linked to the rule of law,” she said.
Serbia began official talks to join the EU in 2014 but widespread corruption and weak institutions have slowed progress.
The judicial reforms include limiting the mandate of chief public prosecutors and granting court presidents — responsible for court administration — greater powers over judges. Critics fear the reforms will erode judges’ independence and jeopardize high-level corruption cases overseen by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The justice ministry has said that the new laws will make the judiciary more efficient by streamlining the decision-making process.
Since the backlash, Serbia has requested the opinion of the Venice Commission, a panel of constitutional law experts of the Council of Europe, a human rights body.
“Once that opinion is issued, we expect these laws to be revised accordingly and in an inclusive manner,” Kos said.
Reforms to centralize the judiciary that came into force this week brought criticism from judges and prosecutors who see them as bolstering President Aleksandar Vucic’s hold on power, weakening the fight against organized crime and undermining Serbia’s bid to join the EU.
“These amendments are eroding trust. It is becoming harder for those in Brussels who are willing to advance with Serbia to make their case,” EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said in emailed comments to Reuters late on Thursday.
Kos said the commission was reviewing funding for Serbia under the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, aimed at aligning the region to EU rules and ultimately bringing countries such as Serbia into the bloc. Serbia was allocated 1.6 billion euros of loans and grants under the program.
“These (funds) contain preconditions linked to the rule of law,” she said.
Serbia began official talks to join the EU in 2014 but widespread corruption and weak institutions have slowed progress.
The judicial reforms include limiting the mandate of chief public prosecutors and granting court presidents — responsible for court administration — greater powers over judges. Critics fear the reforms will erode judges’ independence and jeopardize high-level corruption cases overseen by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The justice ministry has said that the new laws will make the judiciary more efficient by streamlining the decision-making process.
Since the backlash, Serbia has requested the opinion of the Venice Commission, a panel of constitutional law experts of the Council of Europe, a human rights body.
“Once that opinion is issued, we expect these laws to be revised accordingly and in an inclusive manner,” Kos said.
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