Commission launches resettlement city for IDPs

By : Tina Abeku, Abuja

Date: 9 October 2023 7:51am WAT

In this photo taken on September 15, 2016 women and children queue to enter one of the Unicef nutrition clinics at the Muna makeshift camp which houses more than 16,000 IDPs (internaly displaced people) on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. Aid agencies have long warned about the risk of food shortages in northeast Nigeria because of the conflict, which has killed at least 20,000 since 2009 and left more than 2.6 million homeless. In July, the United Nations said nearly 250,000 children under five could suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year in Borno state alone and one in five -- some 50,000 -- could die. / AFP PHOTO / STEFAN HEUNIS

women and children queue to enter one of the Unicef nutrition clinics at the Muna makeshift camp which houses more than 16,000 IDPs (internaly displaced people) on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.
/ AFP PHOTO / STEFAN HEUNIS

The National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, (NCFRMI), has launched a rehabilitation and resettlement city for Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs), and the vulnerable.

The Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, Tijjani Ahmed, said the rehabilitation and resettlement city project is aimed at restoring dignity, rebuilding lives, and rekindling hope for those displaced from their homes as a result of disasters and crisis among others.

He made this known during the launch of the project in Gusau, Zamfara State.

He said the Commission, under his leadership, will build on the vision of his predecessors, who conceived the idea, as these achievements will restore livelihoods for the resettled IDPs and provide educational opportunities for their children.

The commissioner said that “Resettlement City Project being launch is not just a physical endeavour; it is a beacon of hope and a testament to our collective resolve of the Commission to ensure that individuals forced to flee their homes can return or be resettled in a safe and dignified manner.

He decried the harrowing reality faced by fellow citizens in Zamfara and neighbouring states like Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, and Sokoto. Since 2017, these regions have been grappling with the scourge of banditry and kidnapping, resulting in the tragic loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Among these displaced persons, a majority are women and children, the most vulnerable among us.

Ahmed points out that in the face of such adversity, it is both humbling and inspiring to witness the resilience and unity of the people as the launch and inaugurate these housing units, reaffirming their commitment to each other as fellow citizens and as a nation.

“We recognize that our strength lies in our ability to stand together, to support one another, and to provide hope where it is needed most.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu underscores the paramount importance of the welfare of internally displaced persons.

“It is the very agenda that drives the unwavering commitment of the NCFRMI under the supervision of Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, under the capable leadership of Dr. Betta Edu, to the cause of the vulnerable,” he said in a statement signed by the Commission’s Deputy Director and Head, Communication and Strategy, Tunde Oyasanya.