The daily increase in street begging and destitution in Taraba State and the country at large, was on Thursday observed to have become a source of worry to the Nigerian government.

The federal government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, while describing it as a “national embarrassment” said plans to mitigate destitution and street begging in the country, have been put in place.

The minister, Hajia. Sadiya Umar Farouq, who disclosed this plan during its flag-off in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital said the idea was part of the ministry’s efforts to tackle the daily increase of destitution and street begging in the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

The Director of Social Development in the ministry, Taiwo Ademola,who spoke on behalf of the Minister said the growing level of destitution and street begging in the country, have begun to give the government sleepless nights.

The mapping out exercise according to Sadiya is expected to provide baseline scientific information required for improving health conditions and developing vocational training intervention programmes for beggars.

The project, if eventually achieved, would assist the beggars and destitute to contribute to the economic growth of the society.

According to her, “the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has as one of its mandates to manage the formulation and implementation of fair focused social protection and inclusion programmes in Nigeria, is primarily focusing on the vulnerable populations in Nigeria across all regions.

It is well known that the most affected of the vulnerable populations are women and children, and it is our mission to empower these sections of the population through a variety of means.

The exercise which is targeted at Fifty (50) destitute, children, and vulnerable in the state, drawn from the sixteen local government councils of the state.