The Federal Government on Thursday unveiled a new humanitarian reform framework aimed at transitioning vulnerable households from emergency relief to structured poverty-exit programmes, as it commenced the distribution of food and nutrition support items in Benue State.
The initiative, under the Presidential Initiative for Food and Nutrition Assistance, was flagged off in Makurdi by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro.
Speaking at the ceremony, Doro described the intervention as both an urgent humanitarian response and a strategic shift toward long-term social protection for communities affected by displacement, insecurity and livelihood disruptions.
“Today’s event is not merely ceremonial,” the minister said. “It is a demonstration of the Federal Government’s firm resolve to stand with communities affected by displacement, insecurity, communal conflicts and livelihood disruptions.”
He noted that Benue State, often referred to as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” has faced severe humanitarian pressures arising from armed violence and farmer–herder conflicts, which have led to the destruction of farmlands, weakened agricultural productivity and displacement of thousands of residents.
According to him, the reform framework — known as the One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System — is designed to ensure that families receiving emergency food assistance are subsequently integrated into structured social protection programmes.
“Affected populations must not receive only one-off support. Humanitarian assistance must serve as a bridge into structured social protection and sustainable poverty-exit pathways,” he said.
Doro explained that beneficiaries would be linked to conditional cash transfers, livelihood support programmes, skills development initiatives and micro-enterprise schemes through the National Social Register.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government is expanding and strengthening the National Social Register to properly identify and document vulnerable households across the country.
“Families receiving food and nutrition support today should not return to vulnerability tomorrow,” he added.
The minister acknowledged funding constraints affecting global humanitarian systems but assured that the Federal Government would not allow humanitarian gaps to widen.
The Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Iormem Alia, was represented at the ceremony by his deputy, Sam Ode, who described the intervention as timely.
Ode said the state continues to grapple with insecurity and communal conflicts that have displaced thousands of residents into Internally Displaced Persons camps and host communities.
“Several communities have been attacked, leading to loss of lives, destruction of homes and the displacement of thousands of our citizens,” he said.
He listed the impact of the crisis to include destruction of farmlands, rising food prices, increased cases of malnutrition among children and pregnant women, and overcrowded IDP camps.
“These realities have significantly weakened household resilience and deepened food insecurity in many parts of our state,” the deputy governor added.
He assured that the state government had put in place mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability and equitable distribution of the food items to targeted beneficiaries, including internally displaced persons, widows, elderly citizens, persons with disabilities and other low-income households in severely affected communities.
A highlight of the event was the direct distribution of food and nutrition items to beneficiaries, particularly families from conflict-affected areas such as Guma Local Government Area.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Benue State Government and other stakeholders to strengthen resilience, restore livelihoods and create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
