HUMANITARIAN MINISTRY INAUGURATES NATIONAL TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS NEEDS IN NIGERIA

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has inaugurated the National Technical Working Group for Widows and Orphans in Nigeria (NTWGWON) aimed at alleviating the plight of widows and their children as well as orphans and the incessant abuses that are currently ravaging orphanages centers in Nigeria.

 The NTWG was inaugurated by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, mni, NPOM at the event  at the Ministry’s Conference Hall on 31st January, 2023 in Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary  represented by the Director Human Resource Management of the Ministry,  Mr Tokunbo Rufai, said that the group is established to help put in place the needed machineries and structures that will adequately function for  social development and humanitarian national response to alleviate the plights of widows and their children as well as addressing enormous gaps in inclusion and protection of orphans and orphanages in Nigeria.

Gwarzo stated that the group (NTWGWON) will leave no stone unturned in the areas of developing a roadmap that will engineer necessary actions and activities that will answer that questions of where we are? why are we here? how do we move forward and where do we want to be for the inclusion and protection of widows and orphans in Nigeria.

Speaking further, he emphasized the importance of the assignment as the problem faced by widows and their children and orphans in our society is alarming. He enjoined the  members to bring their wealth of experience, expertise and emphathy to the assignment within the shortest time and expressed optimism that they will come up with a workable template that will guide the Ministry in providing the social support and protections they need to help improve their wellbeing and their overall development.

Earlier in his Welcome Address, the Director Social Development in the Ministry, Mr Taiwo Ademola Bashorun expressed the Ministry’s delight to network with all relevant MDAs, Civil Society Organizations and Development Partners to proffer the needed solutions for the enormous problems of widows and their children and also for orphans/orphanages in Nigeria.

Bashorun informed that the incessant abuse of orphans/orphanage centres and the maltreatment of widows and their children is a fall back of our inability to set standards and regulatory systems that will guide the relevant stakeholders in response to their needs and a more organized approach by policy makers and implementations to improve the wellbeing of widows and their children as well as orphans/orphanages in Nigeria.

 A presentation on “Meeting the Objectives the Journey So Far”, was made by  the Assistant Director, Vulnerable Women and Children, Department of Social Development , Mfama Usani.

In his Closing Remarks the Deputy Director Social Development, Mr Paul Audu, thanked the attendees and wished the Technical Working Group (TWG) success in their assignment.

The event was attended by Directors in the Ministry, Representatives of relevant MDAs, Civil Society Organizations, Development Partners and other relevant stakeholders.

Rhoda Ishaku Iliya

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