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Humanitarian Affairs Ministry To Establish Beneficiary Management System

Published

5 years ago

January 18, 2021

Joel Ajayi

A Beneficiary Management System is to be introduced by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to manage payments, address grievances and improve dissemination of information of the federal government’s Social Investment Programmes.

The Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq made this known at the 4th Review of the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme NHGSF held today at NAF Centre Abuja.

She said that the Beneficiary Management System will enhance a unified database of all NSIP beneficiaries and a consolidated register for beneficiary payments as well as create and support legal frameworks to strengthen and sustain the NSIPs amongst others.

While enumerating action points and recommendations to improve the coordination, administration, and implementation of the various Social Investment Programs, Umar Farouq also stated that consistent engagement with stakeholders including Focal Persons and Cluster Program Managers through meetings and other means of information dissemination have commenced among other proposals.

“It is therefore my pleasure to inform you that we have heeded your recommendations and exceeded expectations. Since the programs were transferred, we have had continuous engagements with all State program officials and have assigned desk officers to each of the clusters within the Ministry, with whom you have been liaising for many months. The Ministry is also working with Federal and State MDAs to evolve policies that will support the institutionalization of the social investment programs.

“We have restructured the GEEP program and other NSIPs to align them with our mandate of providing fair focused social inclusion programmes to the vulnerable in Nigeria. In addition, the FCT has been included in the school feeding program while Kwara State is rounding off its vendor selection process and is expected to commence feeding in the next few months”.

The minister hinted that plans have been concluded for the exit and transition of the Npower batches A & B through the creation of the NEXIT portal, which will allow interested beneficiaries to sign up and access other Government empowerment opportunities.

The NHGSFP is to reach an additional 5 million pupils including children in non-conventional educational settings according to a directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Consequently, more collaboration with the Nutrition Society of Nigeria and other stakeholders to streamline nutritional guidelines and other critical aspects of the NHGSFP will be stepped up.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on NSIPs Dr. Mohammed Nasir Mahmoud outlined the problems facing the National Home Grown School Feeding Program.

This includes the COVID 19 pandemic, expired MOU Governance, weak Monitoring and Evaluation system Coordination at all levels, Data quality, Compliance with guidelines, Political environment in the States, and the feasibility of feeding each child at N70 per meal.

In his remark, the Technical Adviser to the President and National Coordinator NSIP Dr. Umar Bindir noted that absolute poverty was the bane of major problems in the country.

“Absolute poverty has caused recruitment into Insurgency Operations, a large pool of school dropouts and school children, kidnapping, banditry, drug addiction, communal challenges, political thuggery, and General insecurity and lack of Peace”.

Dr. Bindir called on all stakeholders and partners to work hard towards the realization of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.

In attendance were all the Focal Persons, Programme Managers, and nutritionists in the 36 states and Abuja, Directors of the ministry, and other partners.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

3 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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