The United Nations says Nigeria has risen to the challenge and taken action to realise the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on internal displacement worldwide.
Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Mr Stéphane Dujarric, stated this while providing briefs on the UN high-level mission to Nigeria.
Leaders from various UN agencies l commended the Nigerian Government for its leadership in addressing internal displacement and called for more international engagement to ensure a long-term solution.
Officials from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and UN Development Programme (UNDP) concluded a three-day joint high-level mission to Nigeria.
The UN officials met politicians, traditional leaders and representatives for the internally displaced in various regions.
“Nigeria’s experience shows a clear shift is taking place from humanitarian aid to self-reliance, from short-term response to long-term recovery,” UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Raouf Mazou, said.
“What makes Nigeria unique is its commitment to pairing public investment with private sector engagement.”
The officials noted that Nigeria has benefited from UN resources, which provide assistance with state-level data, policy and coordination structures.
Shoko Noda, UNDP crisis bureau director, added that “Nigeria has the potential to build a comprehensive model in support of solutions, one that can inspire similar progress in other displacement contexts.”
The team called on international financial institutions and development partners to scale up assistance for self-reliance and economic recovery.
IOM, through the Internal Displacement Solutions Fund initiative, is boosting government data and analysis capacity to drive durable solutions for displacement-affected communities in the Northeast and North Central Nigeria.
IOM handed over a furnished and equipped Solutions Data Centre to the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency.
The centre will strengthen government systems in data collection, processing, analysis and reporting, empowering evidence-based decision-making for sustainable recovery.
NAN reports that senior United Nations officials concluded a three-day joint mission to Nigeria to address the issue of internal displacement on Thursday.
NAN reports that the delegation included Ugochi Daniels of IOM, Raouf Mazou of UNHCR, and Shoko Noda of UNDP. While in the country, they met with government officials, local authorities, and key stakeholders.
The joint mission was focused on finding long-term, sustainable solutions for Nigeria’s over 3.5 million internally displaced persons.
The officials urged international partners to maintain their support for Nigeria’s efforts, especially as the country faces reduced humanitarian funding.
The delegation highlighted the potential for Nigeria to create a model for other countries facing displacement challenges.(NAN)