Dr Betta Edu has marked her 40th birthday by providing livelihood support, educational assistance, food items and healthcare services to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State.

The humanitarian outreach, held on Tuesday at the Ichwa IDP Camp in Makurdi, featured medical services for more than 10,000 people from various camps across the state, business start-up grants, vocational equipment and scholarships for displaced children.

Edu said her decision to celebrate her birthday with the displaced persons was not politically motivated but an expression of gratitude to God and a commitment to serving humanity.

Speaking with journalists during the outreach, she recalled visiting Benue in 2023, when she met some of the displaced persons, and said she remained committed to helping affected families rebuild their lives.

“Today, I am in Benue because it is my birthday. I am here to reach out to thousands of people in IDP camps across the state. This is my passion and my covenant with God and humanity,” she said.

The former minister, who is also Co-Director of the Directorate of Women Mobilisation of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said the initiative was designed to help beneficiaries regain economic independence through small businesses and vocational skills.

The intervention included 40 business start-up grants, 40 sewing machines, 40 deep freezers, 40 grinding machines and 40 mobile hair-washing kits, alongside vocational training and other empowerment support.

The programme also featured academic scholarships, food and non-food items, including 4,000 wrappers for beneficiaries.

Edu explained that the educational support was intended to help displaced children return to school, while the food items would address the immediate needs of vulnerable families.

She said the initiative was designed to complement the efforts of President Bola Tinubu, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, towards improving the welfare of displaced persons.

Edu commended the government and international partners for their interventions but stressed the need for sustainable solutions beyond temporary relief.

According to her, the ultimate goal is to enable displaced families to return to their ancestral homes, rebuild their livelihoods and become economically productive.

“The real idea is to ensure that we can pull them out of here back to their ancestral homes and permanently settle so they can be productive and support Nigeria with food,” she said.

She said Benue was selected for the birthday intervention because of the humanitarian challenges facing displaced persons in the state and the need for sustained support for affected families.

Edu also called on the international community, development partners and well-meaning individuals to collaborate with the state government to address the challenges confronting displaced communities.

The outreach attracted beneficiaries from different categories of the empowerment programme, including women and youths, who received various forms of assistance.

The beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention and offered prayers for Edu as she marked her 40th birthday.