President Muhammadu Buhari has conferred on the pioneer minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) award.
According to a statement on Sunday by the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter- Governmental Affairs, Umar Farouq was among 75 recipients who received the prestigious national honors.
The CON Award is for her resilience and headlong confrontation of humanitarian crises in the country from August 2019 to May 28th, 2023 including poverty, Covid-19 pandemic, flooding, internal displacements, refugee crisis, youth unemployment, statelessness, fire disasters and Out of School Children challenges.
Earlier in his speech to the nation on Sunday, President Buhari stated among his achievements, the empowerment of the poor and vulnerable as well as acquisition of skills by young Nigerian graduates and non- graduates which fell under the ministerial portfolio of the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq.
Similarly, on Friday at the Presidential Villa, President Buhari congratulated the Minister during the virtual unveiling of the 1st International Humanitarian Summit, while celebrating the achievements held under the Humanitarian sector.
“I want to commend the Honourable Minister, the management and staff of the Ministry for exhibiting a high sense of leadership and dexterity in handling the affairs of Humanitarian Sector.
“Let me thank our partners, the donor agencies, Non-governmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, MDAs and the National Assembly for their support.
“As we bow out, it is my strong belief that that the humanitarian sector is adequately prepared and equipped for better service delivery to Nigeria’s vulnerable groups. It is on
record that the empowerment programmes initiated and executed all over the country under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has impacted positively the lives of millions of Nigerians and had lifted millions out of poverty,” he said.