By Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair
You won’t be wrong if you dub or re-christen her “Philanthropist” for that is what her life trajectory truly represents. The many lives she has touched, milestones she has covered, her achievements, her mentorship, and the many challenges she has faced in her 38 years of earthly existence give credence to the above.
In the various capacities she has found herself, this young, dynamic and patriotic young woman has impacted immensely on many; the vulnerable, old, young, men and women, especially the widows. I am talking about Dr Betta Edu!
Dr Edu stands tall as a source of enduring inspiration and hope to many young people, and when President Bola Tinubu graciously appointed her as Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in August, 21,2023, many hailed the move as fitting and proper, a case of appointing the right person to the right position.
Upon her assumption of office, she dutifully steered the ministry in line with her ministerial mandate, steadily delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s government.
Youthful, dynamic, educated, energetic, creative and committed to any assigned duty given to her, Dr Edu remains unwavering in her commitment to the success of President Tinubu’s administration.
At 38, Edu, a personification of brain, beauty and brawn, is not
only a believer in the Nigeria project and the ability of the President to pull the country from its current challenges, but she also believes that patience, unity and tenacity of purpose are the armours Nigerians should adorn at this time as government assiduously tries to navigate the country out of the tempest waters.
In August 2023, at 37, she became the youngest Minister in the federal cabinet and immediately threw her whole being into the job, approaching it with passion and energy.
doggedness and dexterity.
Those who know Dr Edu and have followed her career and service trajectory right from her days in Cross River state as a Special Adviser, Director-General of the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Commissioner for Health, and to her later positions as the National Woman Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and Minister were not surprised at the energy and zeal she brought to bear on her job as the then Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Everyone around her knows that Dr Edu is hard-working, goal-oriented and purposeful. Her impact and achievements in the humanitarian and poverty alleviation component of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu’s administration within four and half months of assuming office in the Ministry stand as a bold testament to her grit and commitment to excel and deliver on any job assigned to her.
Indeed, at 38, Dr. Edu encapsulates Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s postulation about people born as a special breed. Schneerson: “Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again”.
Looking at her and juxtaposing her career and service trajectory with her age, you cannot but agree that Dr Edu is not your everyday lady. She belongs to a different breed of humans.
She came to the world with a stamp of distinction, the reason she joined the pantheon at an age when her peers were still scratching the ground.
Love her passion for humanity or not, it is self-evident: Dr Edu is a woman of poise, elegance, and impact. When you hear of beauty and strong character, it’s Dr. Edu that is being talked about.
Every chapter of Dr Edu’s scintillating odyssey tells a gripping story of a woman destined to achieve great things at a young age, she is arguably a fitting personification of who the character
Yoruba would hail as “Omo Odo Agba”, which roughly translates to one who knows how to relate with the elders even as a young person.
Given her quantum leap into the limelight and then spiral attainment at a young age, it is safe to conclude that for Dr Edu, her 38th birthday is more than just a day on the calendar. It symbolizes the joyous celebration of enviable milestones attained, uncommon graces obtained, and blessings bestowed.
Former American President, John Quincy Adams probably had Edu in mind when he penned the timeless quote: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader”. This quote X-rays the Edu persona.
Whether as Special Adviser, Director-General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Commissioner for Health, National Woman Leader of the APC, or Minister, Dr Edu is an inspiration and role model to many people, especially the younger population.
The energy, diligence and passion she brought to bear in the tasks and jobs assigned to her, including her ministerial position, speaks to her dedication to service delivery and love for her country.
She has demonstrated beyond doubt that when entrusted with positions of responsibility and leadership, young people can, after all, stand tall.
As Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Edu gave an impressive account of herself as an intellectual, a great grassroots mobilizer, an orator, an advocate for the downtrodden, and one with a deep love for her country.
At home and abroad, she has, at every juncture, manifestly justified the trust and confidence reposed in her.
For example, last year at the Hague, Netherlands where she joined the EU and representatives of 48 other countries as the head of Nigeria’s delegation to the Thematic Meeting of the Rabat Process on Migration, Youth and Development, Dr.Edu’s skillful presentation of Nigeria’s position and her high-level interface with stakeholders on behalf of Nigeria attracted for her effusive praises.
The then Nigeria Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr Eniola Ajayi, penned it on record, the impressed by her sterling performance., “The government and people of Netherlands have confided in me how proud they were seeing the Minister addressing all issues raised one after the other; they were impressed and they promised to spread the message.
Continuing “Dr Edu was smart and quick in uptake and able to articulate her position very clearly and firmly.
“It is really good to see how happy and impressed the government of the Netherlands and its people were.
“Her ability to grasp issues and articulate Nigeria’s Position and explain all the giant strides and road map of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to get youths gainfully employed in all parts of the Country was superlative”
As part of Nigeria’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023, Dr Edu secured immense mileage for the country through the series of high-level strategic meetings Mr President assigned to her to hold with various UN agencies relevant to her Ministry.
As the then Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Edu immersed herself in the task of executing a vital component of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr.President which is reducing humanitarian challenges and eradicating poverty in the country.
Shortly after she was appointed Minister, Edu braved dangers and inconveniences to visit volatile and hard-to-reach areas in parts of the country, including IDP camps in Borno, Benue and Niger States, Makoko and Agboyi-Ketu in Lagos; and Gidan Dawa area of Zamfara to interact with victims of humanitarian crises and the poor.
In all the places she visited, Dr Edu spread the message of hope, mingled and empathized with the vulnerable, and distributed relief items.
Her message of hope was clear and succinct: “The goal is to get everybody wherever they are out of poverty and humanitarian crises…
“We will close all gaps to ensure Nigerians are out of poverty… We want to increase the social safety net for Nigerians, to pull millions of Nigerians out of poverty”
Dr Edu registered herself in the consciousness of Nigerians in 2015 when she emerged as one of the youngest aides appointed by the then Cross River State Governor.
She was also later to become the youngest Commissioner in the cabinet. A former student union leader at the University of Calabar where she studied Medicine, Dr Edu is blessed with oratory prowess.
Before she was appointed Health Commissioner in 2019, Edu was first appointed as Special Adviser and later the Director-General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), and Special Technical Adviser to the Governor on the Cross River State Privatization Council.
In 2022 when the post of National Woman leader of the APC was zoned to the South South Zone, Edu became the favourite of the party. Party chieftains who rooted for her described her as young, vibrant, and energetic; an advocate for women, a great grassroots mobilizer, one blessed with oratory skills and sound education.
She won the competitive election for the top woman party job, a position she held until her nomination and inauguration as Minister in August 2023.
Apart from her medical degree from the University of Calabar, Dr Edu holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health for Developing Countries from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, and a Master of Science Public Health in Developing Countries from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, and Doctor of Public Health from Texila American University.
A native of Adadama, Abi local government area, in the central senatorial district of Cross River, this birthday girl’s unwavering commitment to her fatherland and humanity has been attracting the attention of many Nigerians, including the respected Sheu of Borno, His Eminence, Abubakar Ibn Umar Al min El-Kanemi who had this to say about her last year during her visit to IDP camps in the state as Minister: “I have been watching you closely since you assumed office and I can see the passion and energy you have exhibited on the new assignment”
It’s Dr Edu’s new year and one cannot but extend to her effusive wishes of joy and happiness and pray that the smiles and joy she spreads around as a woman,youth,leader and mentor who loves God and humanity come back to her hundredfold.
Have a blessed birthday, ma.
Rasheed Olanrewaju (ANIPR), writes from Abuja
