IOM Chief, Borno State Governor Discuss Humanitarian Collaboration 

 

The Director General of the International Organisation for Migration IOM, Amy Pope, accompanied by the Chief of Mission to Nigeria and an IOM delegation Mr. Lourent Debock paid a courtesy visit to Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum at the Government House in Maiduguri, with the focus on exploring potential avenues and establishing effective partnerships with the state.

 

The primary objective was to discuss and strategise on providing humanitarian assistance to Internally Displaced Person IDPs in the region. The IOM aimed to collaboratively assess and determine the most effective ways to address the needs of IDPs and contribute to their well-being.

 

Zulum expressed worry about 3 million people in IDP camps facing food shortages. He’s concerned that groups like ISWAP and Boko Haram may attract those in camps, posing a danger. To address this, they aim to tackle root causes like poverty, infrastructure deficits, and climate vulnerability.

 

He said, “The Northeast’s population, currently around 35 million, is expected to grow to 40 million, with 60% being youths. Zulum emphasises the risk of youth recruitment into extremist groups, highlighting potential regional and continental consequences”.

 

“And that’s why we resolved and asked ourselves, what shall we do? We agreed with the community that the community wanted to return home. You see, during my campaign promises, I promised to return them to their ancestral home if elected, but in a very dignified manner. We must provide security in the course of the return, school, health, water supply, and other means of livelihood”.

 

Zulum further said, “in that regard, we said we don’t need a short-term solution, which is the immediate humanitarian support. But we are looking for medium and longer-term sustainable solutions that will address the crisis once and for all. So, based on these reasons, we started resettling people back to their various localities in a very dignified manner, not by force.

So far, within the last 4 years, we resettled more than 1 million people. We have opened up. People have started farming, having access to agricultural land, where access to land has increased more than 400%”. 

 

Governor Zulum noted that, following the demise of Boko Haram leader Shekau, the state government has experienced an influx of repentant Boko Haram members, surpassing 160,000 in the last two years. This has contributed to an improvement in the security situation over time. Expressing gratitude to partners, but said there are two crucial needs: firstly, support from an organisation aligning with Borno State’s objective to dignify the resettlement of people according to the Kampala Declaration, Secondly, assistance in managing repentant Boko Haram members.

 

To address these needs, the Borno State Government established the Regional Stabilisation Facility under the UNDP, featuring a fund basket for donations. This facility focuses on three key areas: providing security to return areas, establishing basic social infrastructure (health, education), and ensuring livelihoods for the returning community. Additionally, we initiated a basket fund called One UN Offer, aiming for coordinated efforts despite potential limitations in some organizations’ rules.

 

“In Borno State, agencies such as the Agencies for Sustainable Development and the State Management Agency operate with their distinct plans. Acknowledging the value of collaboration, the arrival of IOM in Borno State is welcomed. However, we emphasize the importance of coordinating activities to ensure clarity on each organisation’s role”.

 

Director General, Amy Pope of IOM expressed her satisfaction being in Maiduguri and learning about the government’s intervention areas. She noted that the government’s forward-thinking and future planning align with the direction IOM intends to pursue. Amy emphasized that short-term solutions are no longer sufficient, especially considering the emergence of communities and children growing up in camps, which doesn’t constitute a sustainable solution.

 

She conveyed IOM’s commitment to assisting in settling people, ensuring they have a future with livelihoods, support, and necessary training for independence.

 

Amy highlighted the collaborative nature of member-state organizations, emphasizing the importance of working in coordination under the government’s prioritisation.

 

She commended the government’s priority to prevent duplication of efforts and achieve better outcomes, assuring full support from IOM to align with the outlined strategy plans. The emphasis was on a united effort to address the challenges faced by the community effectively.

 

Dominica Nwabufo