The Nigerian Government has expressed readiness to collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the private sector and development partners to mobilise investment and create sustainable economic opportunities in communities affected by displacement across the country.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, stated this during a meeting with a UNHCR delegation led by its Representative in Nigeria, Mr Arjun Jain, to discuss the proposed Leadership Alliance for Enterprise, Acceleration and Prosperity (LEAP).
The initiative seeks to mobilise private investment for displacement-affected and fragile communities.
Bagudu said displacement disrupts livelihoods, weakens local economies and can deepen poverty if affected populations are not reintegrated into productive economic activity.
He said people forced to leave their communities because of insecurity or natural disasters often abandon farms, fishing grounds, livestock and other sources of livelihood, making restoration of economic opportunities critical to sustainable reintegration.
“Displacement, by its very nature, involves disruption. When people are forced to leave their communities, whether because of natural disasters or insecurity, their economic activities are automatically interrupted,” he said.
The minister stressed that returning displaced persons to their communities must be accompanied by measures to restore livelihoods, reduce poverty and create opportunities for productive enterprise.
He said LEAP aligned with Nigeria’s long-term development aspirations, particularly the goal of building a productive, inclusive and investment-driven economy.
“Our objective is therefore clear: the $1 trillion economy we aspire to build must be inclusive and create opportunities across communities,” Bagudu said.
He said the Nigerian Government was seeking to localise development planning and better understand the needs and opportunities across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards.
According to him, the approach would help identify communities experiencing displacement, host communities and their specific economic and infrastructure challenges.
Bagudu said investors entering displacement-affected communities often faced insecurity, inadequate infrastructure and disruptions to productive activities.
He said government could develop practical de-risking mechanisms to encourage responsible private investment, including security support, access roads and other critical infrastructure.
“If a private-sector player wants to invest in a community facing security or infrastructure challenges, it is legitimate for the government to use public resources to help de-risk that investment,” he said.
The minister also identified agriculture, including oil production, sugar and other commodities, as areas with investment potential.
Earlier, Jain said UNHCR was seeking to move beyond traditional humanitarian assistance by promoting sustainable livelihoods, self-reliance and private-sector investment for displaced and host communities.
He said Nigeria hosts millions of internally displaced persons, refugees and asylum-seekers, creating an urgent need for solutions beyond short-term humanitarian support.
Jain cited UNHCR’s partnership with Tropical General Investments (TGI), which is expanding agricultural livelihood opportunities in Benue and Cross River States.
He said the three-year partnership, announced in June 2026, would support more than 5,000 farmers and create more than 10,000 jobs, with refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities among the intended beneficiaries.
He noted that UNHCR was exploring financing mechanisms with development finance institutions and commercial banks to provide affordable finance to farmers and vulnerable communities.
Jain said the proposed LEAP initiative aims to mobilise $10 billion in investment over five years across 10 states facing displacement and fragility.
He said achieving the target would require private companies to identify viable opportunities, development finance institutions to provide suitable financing, and governments and development partners to address risks that could discourage investment.
He said UNHCR had engaged institutions including British International Investment and the International Finance Corporation on the proposal.
