FG Inaugurates Committee For €54.4m N’East Support Project

The Federal Government has inaugurated the members of the Project Steering Committee for the implementation of the 54.5 million euros support project for the North East. The project is to be funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Economic Cooperation and Development (GIZ).
The minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said this in a statement issued by Salisu Haiba, Assistant Director (Press) in the ministry on Thursday in Abuja.
Ahmed, who was represented by the Director International Cooperation, Mr Samuel Eloho at the inauguration, said the EU project would strengthen resilience in Borno and Adamawa State.
The project aims at contributing to the stabilisation of the North-East Nigeria through strengthening the resilience of Internally Displaced Persons, host communities, returning refugees and the local population affected by insurgency.
The minister said that, the project which would be executed for a period of 48 months had a total financial allocation of 54.5 million euros.
She said that the EU contributed 37.0 million euros, while the German Government through the Ministry of Cooperation and Development contributed 17.5 million euros. The minister said GIZ, also an EU implementing agency, had signed a contribution agreement with the union. According to her, the project has two components with the basic component having two specific objectives of reinforcing the resilience of IDPs and strengthening the capacities of host communities to continue to offer hospitality to IDPs.
She said that the Boko Haram insurgents’ activities in the region had caused untold hardship on the millions of people, destroying their means of livelihood and social infrastructure.
“Over 14 million people are affected with 1.8 million internally displaced persons to cater for in the three most affected states.
“The situation has become more dynamic with returning refugees upon the decimation of the insurgents militarily.