The new leadership at National Commission for Refugees Migrants and internally displaced persons NCFRMI under Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim is not resting on it’s oars aside the statutory activities designed for persons of concern , efforts are being redoubled in the last eight months to refocus the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs into a productive sector of the society.
This was desirable amidst growing concerns for the IDPs and proliferation of camps for the displaced persons in view of unabated natural and artificial phenomenon, cutting across the country ranging from civil strifes, activities of Boko Haram, ISWAP, the rising wave of banditry, kidnappings and other vices that had swell into multiples and vulnerable in IDP camps.
Hence, the haphazard activities of the commission in the previous order was converted to full fledged programs particularly to guarantee the basic neccessities of life for the vulnerable in IDP camps across country.
This was a sharp departure from the previous handlers when commitement to the welfare of IDPs was thrown on board for obvious reasons that negated adequate attention.
Worried by this trend, the new leadership created ‘Project Zero Hunger’ aimed at providing quality food and many other basic things to IDP camps along with ‘Project Health’ among many others that had focussed more attention on the health status of ‘Persons of Concern.’
With the trend of events world over particularly in IDPs , the need to create engagement routes to avoid redundancy and other unforseen circumstances among settlers cannot be overemphasized, with the dynamics of events, especially that the camps in it’s concepts, are temporary, resettlements or transit for the IDPs.
Therefore, the need to up skill settlers so as to enable them key into nation’s development and building after the provision of basic amenities to the POC’s which included the Refugees, stateless persons, Migrants, returnees and internally displaced persons IDPs was germane.
The commission had put in place policies side by side to keep abreast the IDPs hence the planned introduction of ‘Project Library’ that will provide unfettered access to children in camps opportunities of acquiring basic education and knowledge along with ‘Project skill up’
With this opportunities abound with adequate compliance of ‘ Project Zero Hunger’ and special attention to the health conditions in camps particularly at this period of the global emergency health challenges of COVID, as vaccination in conjunction with NPHCDA was carried out in all the camps that will avoid multiple transmission.
Already, the commission had engaged sister agencies, and private conglomerates to actualize the new project that included NITDA, Innoson motors and the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN to acquaint IDPs of multi skill development and digital advancement with the convening of Go- digital arrangements.
These specialized skills among many others that debuted will no doubt inundate the Person’s of Concern with alot of managerial experience, that will make them self reliant economically within the camps and beyond.
The new commission in collaboration with specialised government agencies and the private sector had deliberated extensively on the need to inculcate the IDPs into their operational template in line with the global practices, so as to guarantee engagement outlets while in the camps and out of camps and to also exposed their potentials.
The positive initiatives and development will curb to a large extent idleness, social vices, guarantee social security and smooth transition from the camps to the larger society.
This also in line with the desire of the international partners whose strong beliefs is the engagement of IDPs to detached them of the impression of been ostracized not only from the larger society, but the productive aspect of our society.
It is also a welcome development when sustained accordingly the laudable initiatives under the current commission, as it will detonate and discourage IDPs from been a liability to assets across the country.
Abubakar Yusuf writes in from Abuja,He can be reached via:
