The Yobe State government is poised to become the first in Nigeria to domesticate the National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) after a twelve-year period since its inception.
During a Special Session with Development Partners, Governor Mai Buni, represented by his Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam-Wali, announced a significant commitment. Yobe State will allocate 5 percent of its 2025, 2026, and 2027 total budgets to support durable solutions for IDPs within the state.
Governor Buni emphasised that Yobe’s proactive approach aligns with the United Nations Secretary-General’s agenda and the global imperative to address displacement challenges effectively.
“I am delighted to say Yobe state in the last 5 years successfully constructed, rehabilitated and established new structures, provided healthcare as well as constructed roads, provided electricity and water to make life more meaningful for the returning host communities”
“I am delighted to inform you, that Yobe state will commit 5 per cent of its 2025, 2026 and 2027 total budget for the durable solution of Internally Displaced Persons in the state” he said.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Project Coordinator, Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities, Dauda Suleiman, explained three key objectives that were to be discussed.
“The objectives are to enable the state to have clear strategies for the achievement of durable solutions for the displaced population through the solution pathways, afford internally displaced population to have social and economic opportunities and for the policy to ensure the state complies with the national, regional and international legal instruments to provide a comprehensive framework for the protection of IDPs,” he said.
The Yobe state government and the donor partners, under its project solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities (SOLID), met with representatives of the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), among other partners, to provide a durable solution for the IDPs.
The partners pledged to work with the Yobe government and the host communities to ensure they return to their ancestral homes in a dignified manner.
It would be recalled, that the Nigerian government in 2012 came up with a national policy on IDPs that makes provision for the protection of specific rights from displacement, protection, and assistance, especially for women and children who are the most affected.
