Betta Edu Turns 40, Gives Benue IDPs Hope With Scholarships, Empowerment
By Aloysius Chiahemba, Makurdi
For displaced women in Benue State, a sewing machine, grinding machine or hairdressing kit could mean more than a birthday gift. It could be the beginning of a new livelihood.
That was the message former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, took to the North Bank Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi as she marked her 40th birthday with empowerment packages, scholarships and food support for displaced families.
Edu donated 40 sewing machines, 40 grinding machines, 40 refrigerators and 40 hairdressing equipment sets with accessories to help women and girls rebuild their livelihoods.
She also awarded scholarships to 40 children from the camps and announced a separate empowerment programme for persons living with disabilities.
The former minister said she chose to celebrate with displaced Nigerians to express gratitude to God and renew her commitment to humanitarian service.
“I am here to reach out to thousands of people at the IDP camps across Benue State. This is my passion and my dream,” she said.
Edu explained that the intervention included business equipment, start-up funds, scholarships and food assistance, with the broader aim of helping displaced families regain their independence and eventually return to their ancestral communities safely.
She said she had visited IDP camps in Benue in 2023 and decided to return on her milestone birthday to support people whose lives had been disrupted by displacement.
“My dream and goal is to see that they can be empowered and settled,” she said, describing the initiative as a contribution to ongoing humanitarian efforts by the Federal Government and the Benue State Government.
Edu also disclosed that she had awarded scholarships to 40,000 Nigerian children over the past decade.
According to her, many beneficiaries came from her political ward in Adadama, Obi Local Government Area of Cross River State, where communal conflict and disrupted farming activities had affected families’ ability to pay school fees.
She said she had personally taken responsibility for the children’s education since 2016.
Edu maintained that the birthday outreach was not politically motivated but reflected a personal commitment to helping vulnerable people.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Hyacinth Alia, Benue State Deputy Governor, Barrister Sam Ode, praised the former minister for choosing to mark her birthday with displaced families.
He described the gesture as an expression of compassion and solidarity, particularly at a time when displacement continues to disrupt livelihoods, separate families from their homes and farmlands, and deprive children of uninterrupted education.
“Forty thousand is not a joke,” Ode said, commending Edu’s reported scholarship record.
He said the state government’s response to displacement must go beyond temporary relief to include security, shelter, healthcare, education, food assistance, clean water and livelihood restoration.
Ode stressed that the ultimate goal was to enable displaced residents to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity.
“The ultimate aspiration is to see our people return to their homes under conditions that guarantee their safety,” he said.
He assured the beneficiaries that the donated items would be distributed judiciously and put to productive use.
The deputy governor also called for sustained collaboration among government agencies, humanitarian organisations, religious institutions, community leaders, development partners and the private sector to address the displacement crisis.
As Edu marked four decades of life, her message to the camp’s residents was centred on helping vulnerable families move beyond dependence on relief and towards rebuilding their lives.
For the women receiving business equipment and the children awarded scholarships, the intervention offered practical support towards a future beyond displacement.
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