NEDC, NPC collaborate to address poverty and out-of-school children in the Northeast

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the National Population Commission (NPC) have agreed to collaborate to address poverty, out-of-school children, internally displaced persons (IDPs), inadequate infrastructure, climate change, and environmental vulnerability.

The agencies announced this on Tuesday in Abuja when NPC Chairman Hon. Nasir Kwarra led a team to the NEDC’s Abuja office.

The authorities also agreed to create detailed geospatial maps of the Northeast, emphasising population density, infrastructure, and resource distribution.

The Managing Director/CEO of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Alkali, said on Monday that NPC is an excellent source of data and that partnering with them would ensure NEDC functions efficiently in the delivery of its mandate.

He emphasised that plans have been finalised to provide a free health insurance system for vulnerable households and individuals affected by the insurgency in the country’s North-East area.

He believed that the project will help families in the region who had been affected by Boko Haram’s insurgency activities.

Earlier, Kwarra stated that NPC has data and other critical information that NEDC might use to provide services and programmes to the people in the Northeast region.

He said: “Our decision to visit NEDC is germane as a body charged with the responsibility to generate data for socio-economic and demographic activities in the country, we are obligated to share experiences with your commission.

“These experiences are important to planning and execution of development programmes. Right now, the NPC is on a nationwide campaign for birth registration. And as for the conduct of population census, we are on top of the game.

“We have geo-spatial data of the country on roads, streets, communications masts, bodies of waters and demographic mappings on houses, and communities. This information will go a long way to assist your commission to deliver on its mandate.

“There is urgent need to address issues of poverty, out of school children, girl child education, internally displaced persons, inadequate infrastructures, climate change and environmental vulnerability.

“The NPC has data and other necessary information that your commission could leverage to deliver services and programmes to the people in the Northeast region.

“We are also preparing to organise a regional summit on out-of-school children and the Almajiris question. We hope to bring in the Northeast governors, the Ulamas and other religious leaders to address the challenges. I believe that these are practical ways we can address the problems”.

Aisha Abdulaziz, speaking on behalf of the NPC, stated that one of the areas of collaboration between the two agencies was the conduct of household surveys and socioeconomic assessments to collect data on living conditions, health, education, and other topics.

She stated that it also involved using mapping to identify priority regions for assistance, ensuring that NEDC’s efforts are targeted, as well as “developing comprehensive geospatial maps of the North East that highlight population density, infrastructure, and resource distribution.”