The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has thrown its support behind Senator NeNwoko’s proposal to replace the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with a National Social Security Agency under the Office of the President.
In a letter to President Bola Tinubu, Senator Nwoko called for a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s social safety net, highlighting the shortcomings of the current system. He argued that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, despite its well-meaning efforts, has failed to tackle the underlying issues of poverty and social insecurity.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, issued a statement underscoring the urgent need to rethink Nigeria’s social welfare strategy, especially in light of the nation’s deepening poverty, widespread unemployment, and growing despair among its citizens.
Onwubiko agreed with Senator Nwoko, asserting that social security is a basic right for every Nigerian. He criticized the current social support system, labeling it as a “patronizing and demeaning” approach that fosters dependency rather than empowerment. Onwubiko argued that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs exemplifies a flawed system, where short-term relief measures have taken precedence over long-term solutions aimed at self-sufficiency.
He outlined several reasons why President Tinubu should adopt Senator Nwoko’s recommendations, emphasizing that the establishment of a National Social Security Agency would mark a significant departure from the charity-based model currently in place.
According to Onwubiko, “Unlike the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, which is viewed as a stopgap for immediate crises, the proposed agency would institutionalize a rights-based approach to social support. This would restore dignity to vulnerable Nigerians, treating them as citizens with inherent rights rather than as dependents on state charity.”
