The Federal Government has called on the United Nations (UN) to assist Nigeria in accessing long-term funding to tackle the country’s growing humanitarian challenges, particularly those linked to internal displacement.
The call for the assistance is hinged on the fact that Nigeria’s humanitarian response system is facing a significant reduction in external funding, posing a threat to programme continuity and operational capacity.
Speaking at a roundtable on Humanitarian Development and Peacebuilding Approaches to Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, explained that if Nigeria could secure access to $10 billion at an interest rate of four percent the funds could be used to address humanitarian challenges and generate wealth for internally displaced persons across the country.
“If we had access to $10 billion at four percent, it could be used to address the country’s humanitarian challenges while generating wealth for internally displaced persons,” he stated.
He noted that the country could explore capital market instruments to raise long-term funding for humanitarian interventions, stressing that reliance on donor grants and short-term support was no longer sustainable.
“Funds can be obtained from the capital market for long-term investments to address humanitarian issues,” Bagudu said. “Development partners’ funding is no longer sustainable as grants are decreasing.”
According to him, the Federal Government’s macroeconomic policies are designed to curb waste and strengthen the capacity of the three tiers of government to address developmental challenges more effectively.
Bagudu said that the increased revenue allocations to state governments were intended to enable them to tackle critical issues such as infrastructure provision and social development.
He also revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has initiated strategic programmes such as the Renewed Hope Ward-based Development Plan and the Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities (SOLID) initiative, which are aimed at mapping economic opportunities across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards to support displaced persons and vulnerable communities.
“The Renewed Hope Ward-based Development Plan and SOLID initiatives will help address humanitarian challenges by identifying and scaling up economic opportunities across the country,” he said.
United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Fall, lauded the Federal Government’s efforts to address humanitarian crises in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and other parts of the North-East, where conflict and displacement remain significant challenges.
“The UN appreciates the Federal Government’s commitment to finding sustainable solutions to displacement and humanitarian challenges,” Fall said. “We will continue to support Nigeria to ensure that the internally displaced recover their dignity and get back on their feet.”
The roundtable also had in attendance representatives from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), and the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE).
The meeting served as a platform to strengthen coordination among government agencies, development partners, and humanitarian actors toward achieving durable, homegrown solutions for displaced persons in Nigeria.
