Dr Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has called for inter-ministerial collaboration to address illegal migration and human trafficking.
Edu made the call when she paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in his office in Abuja.
The Minister said the call became urgent to tackle the root causes of poverty and humanitarian crises, which she believed were insecurity, illegal migration and human trafficking.
Edu assured the interior minister that the National Social Register would be expanded to capture families and widows of ex-servicemen in the paramilitary organisation.
“The inmates of the Nigeria Correctional Services will also be captured to benefit from the skills acquisition programmes of my ministry.
“For us to achieve the desired result, we must ensure an effective and sustainable inter-ministerial collaboration,” she said.
Edu said the synergy would enable her ministry to get the required intelligence to coordinate and effectively administer any humanitarian crisis.
“We need intelligence from you. We just got the approval for officers from NAPTIP to be present at the different ports.
“We need you to know the importance of our collaboration with you on the border.
“We have to find ways to step up our intelligence in Nigeria. We have too many illegal borders,” she said.
