UNHCR, TGI collaborate to empower displaced persons

By : Gbenga Akinfenwa

Date: 17 August 2024 4:23am WAT

NIGERIA-UNREST-BOKO-HARAM-DISPLACED-PROTEST

Internally displaced people (IDP), mostly women and children sacked by Boko Haram jihadists, block a highway to protest against shortage of food and divertion of aid supplies meant for them by camp officials in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, on June 27, 2019. - Thousands of people displaced by Boko Haram violence poured into the streets of the Nigerian city Maiduguri on June 27 to vent their anger over food and medicine shortages in their camp. An AFP reporter witnessed about 4,000 men, women and children from the Gubio camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) blocking a busy highway in the northeastern city and disrupt traffic. (Photo by Audu Ali MARTE / AFP)

The Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have signed a five-year agreement to advance socio-economic inclusion and co-create sustainable solutions for forcibly displaced people in Nigeria.

This partnership was formalised by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a ceremony attended by key representatives from both organisations in Abuja.

TGI’s Vice Chairman, Farouk Gumel, said the partnership is part of its broader commitment to driving inclusiveness and adding value to communities.

“We are proud to cement our partnership with UNHCR, which will see to the integration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees into the forefront of Nigeria’s workforce. We believe in inclusive growth and community empowerment and we will leverage our work with smallholder farmers in our outgrower programmes as a model to integrate members of these communities,” Gumel said.

The UNHCR’s Representative to Nigeria, Arjun Jain, who said Nigeria is home to 3.6 million IDPs and 108,000 refugees, said UNHCR was at the forefront of addressing their urgent needs.

“One of our key priorities is to create self-reliance opportunities for refugees and IDPs. This partnership with TGI is central to our collaborative approach.”