FG Seeks UN Assistance to Access $10bn Long-Term Fund for IDPs
By Patience Ikpeme
The Federal Government has urged the United Nations to assist Nigeria in accessing long-term funding, suggesting that securing $10 billion at a 4 per cent interest rate could be used to address the country’s humanitarian challenges and generate wealth for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Speaking during a roundtable on Humanitarian Development, Peacebuilding Approaches to Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, called on the UN to help the Federal Government access these long-term funds to find sustainable solutions to internal displacements.
The Minister stated that funds could be obtained from the capital market for long-term investments to address humanitarian issues, making the point that funding from development partners was no longer sustainable as grants were decreasing.
The government’s urgency stems from a sharp reduction in external financing for its programs. Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, explained the dire situation.
According to him, “Nigeria’s humanitarian response is experiencing a steep reduction in external funding, threatening programme continuity and the scale of operations.”
Senator Bagudu explained that the Federal Government’s macroeconomic policies were designed to curb waste and enable the three tiers of government to handle developmental issues better. He noted that increased revenue to the states was intended to enable them to address developmental issues, such as infrastructure provision.
The Minister also mentioned that the Renewed Hope Ward-based Development Plan and the Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities (SOLID), initiated by the President Bola Tinubu administration, would help address humanitarian challenges by mapping economic opportunities across the country’s 8,809 wards for scale-up.
In his contribution, Dr. Yusuf Sununu stated that durable solutions in the country must evolve from a focus on response to prevention, shift from donor dependency to national leadership, and move from fragmented action to whole-of-government accountability.
He praised the collaboration between the government and development partners, explaining that it would transform the humanitarian burden into opportunities for inclusive development and national stability.
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Fall, offered praise to the Federal Government for its efforts in addressing humanitarian issues in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and other states in the North-East region.
Mr. Fall promised that the UN will continue supporting the Federal Government in addressing the humanitarian challenges facing the country, adding that the internally displaced must recover their dignity and get back on their feet.
The roundtable was also attended by 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).
