Poised to lift over one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty by 2025, the Federal Government’s lofty initiative of poverty alleviation remains one of its largest humanitarian interventions in recent history.
Efforts to implement this laudable initiative and pursue its passion for a better life for all Nigerians, led to the establishment of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, with a mandate to develop policies and provide effective coordination of national and international humanitarian interventions.
The ministry is also charged with the responsibility of ensuring strategic disaster mitigation, preparedness and response, as well as managing the formulation and implementation of fairly-focused social inclusion and protection programmes in Nigeria.
But as it is with all intervention activities, good communication remains an intrinsic part of every programme and action. That explains why the government itself maintains that programmes properly reported will give understanding of the ministry’s mandate.
Although the Federal Government has continued to execute its mandate of lifting 100 million indigent Nigerians out of poverty across the country, a visible information gap exists as there is lack of appropriate information on its humanitarian programmes and activities across Nigeria.
These concerns necessitated the organization of a two-day communications consultative forum by the ministry, which was widely attended by stakeholders to converse ways of effective reportage on humanitarian activities; under the theme “building effective communication strategies and competencies through partnerships in the humanitarian space.”
Convener of the workshop and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farooq, who addressed participants at the workshop, said because of the responsibility handed to the ministry by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, the relevance of targeted information sharing cannot be overemphasized.
Farouq said “in view of the important nature of the mandate of the ministry as the arm of government that is directly involved in the socio-economic well- being of millions of Nigerians, the need to continually deploy effective communication strategies and scale such engagements cannot be overemphasized.
“This will ensure that the impact of the ministry’s interventions in the lives of those who receive them are properly projected and communicated through consistent interface and connection with Nigerians. it also provides opportunity for feedback that is valuable in improving the programmes and interventions.
“It is with a view to improve communications to ensure better understanding of the ministry and its mandate that this consultative forum is being organized.
“The communication strategy to be developed is not intended to duplicate or replace any partner/stakeholders existing communication, media or advocacy activities or tamper with their brand identity. rather it will identify strategic ways that joint communications can help each to achieve their vision and the community achieve their collective vision and goals,” the minister said.
Farouq also praised the media for playing a critical role in communicating programmes, interventions and activities of the ministry.
On his part, the permanent secretary, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, noted that humanitarian crises, disasters and social issues are complex in nature so also communicating these complexities to multiple players and the public requires the adoption of a coherent, cohesive and coordinated approach.
He said “this approach requires communication solutions that provide information, advisories and guidance across a broad range of issues to all groups, partners, stakeholders, people of concern and publics within the mandate of the ministry, the agencies under its supervision and other stakeholders.
“It is with a view to improve communications to ensure better understanding of the ministry and its mandate that this consultative forum has been organized.
“We have at this forum today media and communications experts who will share their wealth of experience over the next 2 days. participants have been drawn partner mdas and organizations, csos, security agencies and other stakeholder who are all actors in nigeria’s humanitarian space.
“the inter-relationship between all the aforementioned, has created a need to develop strong and lasting working relationships to share ideas and find solutions.
“hence the vision to set up communication strategies to better communicate the programmes and interventions of the ministry and the role of partners and stakeholders in executing the goals and objectives of providing immediate relief and durable solutions for those affected by humanitarian crisis, while meeting the needs of the target beneficiaries of all the intervention programmes.”
Participants at the workshop were drawn from partner ministries departments and agencies, MDAs, civil society organizations, CSOS, Security Agencies and other stakeholders.