In his efforts to shift from short-term to durable and sustainable solutions, President Bola Tinubu has flagged off the Renewed Hope Agric Empowerment Project for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as part of his efforts in ensuring they became self-reliant.
The Federal Government through the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and the National Refugees Commission, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons Alleviation provided and cultivated 150 hectares of land and provided seeds, fertilizers and other farm inputs to the IDPs as part of a food security initiative to boost the economy of the displaced persons
While flagging off the 2924 Renewed Hope Agric Empowerment Project harvest at the Madujawuri community of Jere Local Government Area, President Tinubu said the project is aimed at providing sustainable livelihood support to the IDPs.
The projects initiated by the National Refugees Commission, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security are aimed at providing sustainable livelihood support to the IDPs.
Represented by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Prof Nantaee Yilwatda said “This year we cultivated 150 hectares of land and 300 persons benefitted, by the Grace of God next year, we are going cultivate more hectares and more people would benefit. Each and every one of you would go home with 20 per cent of the farm produce and a cash N20,000 “.
” I also bring you greetings from President Bola Tinubu, he told me to inform you he feels your pains and he is with you. He’s doing everything possible to see you return to your communities,” he added.
During the visit to Maiduguri, the Minister also distributed food items to the IDPs at the Madinatu and Amarwa IDP camps and resettle city respectively.
Addressing the IDPs, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nantaee Yilwatda said ” I was sent by President Bola Tinubu to come and see you and inform you that he is with you and feels your pains and he is committed to see that you return to your communities.”
” The president knows that you were not able to farm due to the result of the insurgency and even those that were able to farm the recent flooding that ravaged Maiduguri destroyed the farm and sent me to bring these”, he further explained.
The food items include a bag of rice, Samovita, ca arton of spaghetti, noodles, salt, Maggi and cooking oil.
While at the Government House, Maiduguri, Prof. Yilwatda said “This is my first official visit outside Abuja since I assumed duty as Minister,, we are here on an assessment visit, we are developing a Humanitarian Response Plan we hich will be presented in January next year, we will work with the Borno state government to mainstream the challenges of the IDPs”
“We want to shift from providing short-term assistance to durable and sustainable solution through empowering and provision of livelihood support to the IDPs to earn their living. We would partner with you to support them.
“We will work together to see that no man or woman or child is left behind in our quest to provide durable and sustainable solutions to the challenges of the IDPs “.
He assured the governor that the ministry will work with him in the rehabilitation and resettlement of the IDPs, as well as repatriation, resettlement and reintegration of the refugees taking refuge in Niger, Chad and Cameroon republics.
Responding, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State said the state government wanted to close all the IDP camps in the state before the end of his tenure, as keeping people in the camp is not the best because of social. vices and donor fatigue.
” The IDPs have stayed for so long in the camps, we want to close all camps in the state, we want to resettle the IDPs because of social vices and donor fatigue. We would work with you to resettle them back to their communities, and provide them with livelihood support ., Zilum said.
