Hot SourceUzoma Mba
The Federal Government has been urged to introduce tax rebates for individuals and organisations investing in education, healthcare, food security, and poverty eradication initiatives across the country.
The call was made by Pastor Titus Temisan, a senior leader at Christ Embassy, during the InnerCity Mission Global Roundtable Conference on “Developing Local Humanitarian Solutions to Global Challenges” held in Lagos, as part of activities marking World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Temisan, who represented the founder of the faith-based empowerment initiative, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, said while poverty might never be completely eradicated, its impact could be drastically reduced through collective compassion and legislative incentives.
According to him, education remains the strongest weapon against poverty, next only to the gospel.
“If a person or organisation builds a school, provides scholarships, or distributes food to thousands, such acts should attract tax rebates, just as it happens in Europe,” he said, urging governments at all levels to use their influence and platforms to inspire others to act.
Inspired by the Mission’s work of providing free education, daily meals, uniforms, shoes, and books to indigent children—many of whom were rescued from the streets—three members of the National Assembly who attended the event commended the scale of investment in transforming young lives after taking a tour of the school’s facilities and food bank.
One of them, Dumnamene Dekor, member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, described the initiative as “a rare example of compassion in action,” and announced his decision to donate six months’ salary to support the Mission’s work.
Visibly moved, Dekor, who chairs the House Committee on Host Communities, lamented the growing gap between government policy and implementation, noting that many well-conceived programmes fail to reach those who need them most.
“Our challenge in Nigeria is not the absence of policy but the failure of implementation. This programme should stand as a model. If even 50 percent of what is budgeted for education were properly monitored and executed, our society would be far better,” he said.
He also revealed plans to partner with the Mission through the Host Communities Development Trusts, created under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), to replicate the model in local communities.
“We have over 120 development trusts across host communities, and some already have up to ₦10 million in their base. We will work with them to redirect part of those funds toward education and humanitarian projects like this,” Dekor added, stressing that true leadership “goes beyond building roads or hospitals; it’s about touching lives, giving hope, and restoring dignity to those who have been forgotten.”
Also speaking, Muktar Shagaya, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education, noted that with 19 free schools across Nigeria—where children receive tuition, books, and daily nutritious meals at no cost—the Mission had proven that breaking the cycle of poverty begins with giving every child a fair chance to learn and dream.
He said: “A hungry child cannot learn effectively, and a family trapped in poverty cannot fully participate in nation-building.” Shagaya commended the Mission’s role in complementing national policies and reaching communities often left behind.
Similarly, Godspower Nwogu, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, said the legislature would continue to prioritise the needs of vulnerable citizens by engaging civil society organisations, local communities, and development partners to ensure inclusive, people-centred policymaking.
He further emphasised the importance of collaboration with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to access technical assistance and funding, reiterating support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to achieve food security and eradicate poverty nationwide.
In his remarks, Professor Qrisstuberg Amua, Vice Chancellor of the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh, lamented that despite being Nigeria’s food basket, Benue State still struggled with hunger due to poor access to food.
“We are not hungry because we don’t have GMOs; we are hungry because people are deprived of access to food,” he said. Amua advocated for a more practical approach to agricultural education to attract young people to the sector.
“In my university, we have restructured our programmes to make agriculture hands-on and profitable. Within six months, over a thousand young people applied to study agriculture. This is how we can build self-sustaining local food systems without importing foreign ideas or narratives,” he added.
He also promised to engage the Benue State Government on replicating InnerCity Mission schools in the state to cater for children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
Earlier in her welcome address, Pastor Omoh Alabi, Director of the InnerCity Mission for Children, disclosed that the faith-based humanitarian organisation currently partners with over 60 institutions and 800,000 volunteers worldwide, reaching millions of children and families annually through its education and feeding initiatives.
According to her, the InnerCity Mission, founded by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, “operates 19 fully free schools across three continents, offering not only education but also daily meals, healthcare, skill acquisition programmes, and school supplies to indigent children.”
She added that the organisation “runs three major food banks located in Nigeria, the United States, and the United Kingdom, which have collectively served over one billion meals in the last six years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chains collapsed, the Mission rose to the challenge by feeding millions of vulnerable families. In 2020 alone, through the dedication of our partners and volunteers, we distributed over eighty-eight million meals, bringing dignity and hope to children and families trapped in hunger,” she stated.
