My Score Card

Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development speaks on the Activities of her Ministry and the Agencies, and vows to join hands with President Buhari to ensure that the humanitarian challenges facing the country do not impede efforts to build a sustainable social protection apparatus that will protect Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens and restore hope to the hopeless.


Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development is a trail blazer. She may not have stumbled on her good fortune, but hers is a by-product of hard work, diligence and commitment to national service. Today, Sadiya Umar Farouq supervises one of the Ministries that is so dear to the President, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. On August 21, 2019 when President Buhari established the Ministry, the vision was to create sustainable and closely-knit social system that promotes human dignity in Nigeria.

Sadiya Umar Farouq has remained in the public glare, fighting one disaster or the other. On another plank, she is saddled with numerous social development or humanitarian issues. Hajiya Farouq is always on the move, giving succor to many Nigeria citizens who are faced with one social malaise or the other. These include internally displaced persons as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency; management of people affected by flood or other forms of disaster across the country; as well as dealing with people affected by other social problems such as the Covid-19 pandemic and fire disaster.

A staunch President Buhari supporter, she has dissipated so much positive energy towards the discharge of her responsibilities to ensure that the policies and goals of government under her watch is achieved. So far, Hajiya Farouq has not been found wanting as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, as she has reeled out her achievements since her appointment as a super Minister. Born in Zumi, Zamfara State on November 5th 1974. An alumni of the Federal Government Girls College Gusau and the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, she was appointed Minister by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2019. At the age of 46, she is the youngest Minister in the Federal Cabinet as presently constituted. Sadiya’s relationship with President Buhari dates back to the President’s days as leader and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. Her path and that of President Buhari crossed and Hajiya Farouq became the National Treasurer of the Congress for Progressive Change. Their paths crossed again and she was appointed the Acting National Treasurer of the All Progressives Congress when Buhari became the Presidential candidate of the Party, prior to the 2015 Presidential Election.

Given his pedigree for zero tolerance on corruption, Buhari could have watched Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq tenacity and purpose-driven commitment to her duties from their days at CPC and APC, culminating in his trusting her with such sensitive portfolio as Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Before her appointment as Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, a holder of B.Sc. in Business Administration (Actuarial Science) and Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy (2008) and MBA in Business Administration (2011) from ABU Zaria, was appointed the Honourable Federal Commissioner (HFC) of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on September 26, 2016.

Prior to that, she was the Acting National Treasurer of the APC from 2013-2014 before her appointment as member, All Progressive Congress Presidential Council where she served in the directorate of election planning and monitoring, field operations and fund raising for the Presidential election of 2015 which President Buhari won. Hajiya Farouq started her working career as a Youth Corper with the Senate Committee on Aviation and later Senate Committee on Appropriation (1999-2000). Between 2001 and 2003, she worked as Operations Manager with Pinnacle Travel and Tours Limited. She later returned to the National Assembly and rose to the position of Principal Administration Officer before leaving in 2010 to pursue her political career.

The Ministry’s mission, according to the Minister, is to coordinate, promote and strengthen social systems that provide support for humanitarian needs, integrity, best practices, mechanisms and solutions through effective utilization of data, research and planning. In addition, the Ministry coordinates humanitarian policies and provides effective coordination of National and international humanitarian interventions; ensures strategic disaster mitigation, preparedness, and response; and manages the formulation and implementation of fair, focused, social inclusion as well as protection programmes in Nigeria.

Hajia Sadiya Farouq has in conjunction with the management of five Agencies under her Ministry ensured that quality service is provided for the ever-demanding Nigerian public. These Agencies are the National Emergencies Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, (NCFRMI), the North East Development Commission (NEDC), the National Agency for Prohibition and Trafficking in persons (NAPTIP), the National Commission for Persons living with Disability (NCPD) and the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP– SDGs). The Minister who also supervises the National Social Investment Programmes which were created through Presidential directive by President Buhari in 2016, stated that the essence of the programme is to achieve macroeconomic stability as key execution priority for the Nigerian government, as identified in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

The National Social Investment Programmes which have been largely implemented nationwide and applauded in Nigeria include the Home-grown School Feeding programme, the Job Creation scheme (N-Power), the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP). The ministry under the watch of Hajia Sadiya Farouq has been able to initiate the development of a policy for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in collaboration with relevant ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAS) on the review and update of existing policies as it relates to the ministry. As a critical component of an overarching holistic national policy on humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, the National Social protection policy is being overhauled in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

In furtherance of the ministry’s avowed mission to improve the quality of lives of Nigerians, the minister has also developed the Civil-Security Cooperation (CISEC) in Humanitarian Intervention to effectively tackle the issues of access, coordination and communication between humanitarian actors and the security sector towards the seamless delivery of humanitarian action to the vulnerable in society.

Since its adoption, the Minister noted that the structures within the (CISEC) framework have tackled and resolved critical humanitarian issues, assessed and prioritized options for access for the humanitarian community and provided an ecosystem for stakeholders to collaboratively develop policies for the coordination of humanitarian action in Nigeria. The Ministry has worked extensively with international organizations in the areas of Peace, Security and Humanitarian activities and is currently putting in place structures that will ensure humanitarian development peace nexus approach mitigating vulnerabilities. The ministry had ongoing engagements with UN Agencies, Country Representatives of various international Organizations and several non-governmental organizations. Currently, the ministry is working with International Organizations for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in the repatriation of Nigerians from Niger, Cameroun, and Chad.

Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq revealed that the World Food Programme (WFP) was magnanimous in supporting Nigeria in designing and implementing the Modified National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme during the Covid-19 lockdown. Throwing more light on the activities of her ministry, the Minister said the ministry handles other activities which are related to disaster management in Nigeria. Though she stated that the Ministry is in close collaboration with other MDAs to ensure the actualization of the Ministry’s mandate, she added that efforts are being made to ensure that the Ministry is actively developing relationships with MDAs in line with its mandate that bother on health, education and security. These partnership are geared towards providing support for poor and vulnerable citizens through the different programmes and projects of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Natural and man-made environmental disasters, like the recent flood happening nationwide, the Minister noted, has led to issues of displacement and distorted development in several parts of the country, in addition to insurgency and banditry. The effects of the lockdown imposed as a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic is still being felt till this day, she further stated. The Minister, recently, was at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to inspect the arrangement and facilities put in place for early detection of COVID-19 on arrival of passengers.

She took delivery of palliatives received from the Nigerian Customs Services, the National Strategic Grain Reserve and some well-meaning Organizations in the Private Sector. In the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic, these palliatives were handed over to State Governments, and the FCT Administration for onward distribution to the poor and vulnerable citizens in the States in efforts to cushion the effects of the lockdown. Not only that, she also visited states to distribute fertilizers under the Emergency Agricultural Intervention Programme to farmers affected by the 2018 flood. According to the Minister, NEMA is leading a coordinated effort of the Rapid Response Team on Covid-19. They are mobilizing an efficient and effective national and local response in Security, Logistics and the Mass Care Functional Area of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19.

On the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Hajiya Farouq disclosed that the Agency has the mandate to safeguard the interest and treatment of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees and asylum seekers as well as coordinate migration. Several interventions, she further noted, have been carried out by the Commission. These include the sensitization and messaging on COVID-19 in IDP camps, distribution of relief materials (food and non-food items) to IDPs and refugees in Katsina, Kano, Benue, Kogi, Bauchi, Niger, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Zamfara States.

On its part, the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has the mandate to enforce and administer the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution and punishment of trafficking in persons and related matters, the Minister said that various sensitization exercises and outreach activities have been carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Agency. These include advocacy and sensitization campaigns in shelters throughout the country, sharing of palliatives to shelters through the help of partners, and awareness campaign on social media. Others are arresting and prosecuting traffickers and perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence, rescuing victims and rehabilitation of the NAPTIP shelters, offering them psychological support, medical and empowerment.

On the activities of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), she disclosed that the Commission receives and manages funds from allocation of the Federal Account and international donors for settlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, houses, schools, hospitals and business premises of victims of insurgency as well as tackling the menace of poverty, illiteracy level, ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental challenges in the North East. These arrangements have worked well so far for the North East zone. In all the activities the Ministry has embarked on, it has made social inclusion its top priority by including the forgotten and ungoverned parts of our societies; the Rural Poor, People with special needs, the Elderly, Orphaned Children, and Women; particularly Widows, IDPs, unaccompanied minors, Stateless persons, Trafficked victims, Out of School Children and vulnerable youths in the society, the Minister stated.

Hajiya Sadia Farouq added that the National Social Investment Programme, which is close to the heart of President Buhari has touched the lives of millions of Nigerians since its creation in 2016. It has been a key instrument in uplifting the lives of the poorest of the poor and providing assistance and hope to millions of Nigerians. The Minister said that the Ministry has done quite a lot in delivering on its mandate; stressing that it is still facing numerous challenges, such as funding. “Nevertheless, it is my duty to make sure that these challenges do not impede our efforts to build a sustainable social protection apparatus that will protect our most vulnerable citizens and restore hope to the hopeless. I therefore reiterate the commitment of actualizing our effort of promoting human dignity”, she concluded.