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Empowering The IDPs Out Of Poverty
Internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized state border. There are a lot of IDPs in different parts of Nigeria. These groups of persons are entitled to all the rights and guarantees as citizens and other habitual residents of their country. As such, national authorities have the primary responsibility to prevent forced displacement and to protect IDPs.
However, IDPs, due to their forced displacement, are inherently vulnerable to deprivation, further displacement and other protection risks, such as lack of access to basic services, family separation, sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking, discrimination and harassment. There is, therefore, the need to empower the IDPs and help them face their challenges with every sense of responsibility. This was the case with The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) which in its four-year programme empowered 300 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their households with agricultural inputs in Kuje and Durumi camps, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, which helped to improve their livelihoods and stepped them out of the poverty line.
The IDPs stated this when the Spanish Cooperation Agency in Madrid, led by its Director, Mr Anton Leis visited the NANTS office in Abuja where NANTS and ECOWAS shared their success story. Added to this, a delegation of the Spanish Government led by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares visited Nigeria and signed a Development Cooperation and Financial Agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission to continue on this path of development and regional economic integration. It will be recalled that in 2019, NANTS in collaboration with ECOWAS under the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) and the Spanish International Development Agency (AECID) embarked on an empowerment programme aimed at providing succor to the IDPs spread around Abuja.
Through this project, the association selected 300 households among the worst hit and poorest IDPs (who were originally farmers) in their various localities in the North East from where they were displaced.
Agricultural inputs ranging from hoes, improved seeds, particularly maize and groundnuts, fertilizers, chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, spraying machines, and some back up cash were thereafter given to the beneficiaries to enable them to get engaged in farming. This ultimately got them back to a means of livelihood and moved them out of the streets where they were begging and depending on arms.
NANTS also provided technical backstopping by engaging experts on agronomy who trained and followed up the beneficiaries through the setting up of demonstration farms from where they were learning daily for improved agricultural practices. The association further intervened and negotiated with community leaders in Kuje and Kosso communities who provided farm lands for the selected IPDs. Recounting their experiences and benefits from the project, some of the representatives of the beneficiaries testified that the project had built their capacity for improved productivity in selected crops such as maize and groundnut.
According to them, about 1,800 tons of maize was produced as an aggregate harvest at 6 tons per hectare per beneficiary using best practices adopted by NANTS. Similarly, about 1,000 tons of groundnuts were produced as an aggregate harvest by the end of the season at 3 ton per hectare per beneficiary. In the end, about 74 (project) beneficiaries exited the IDPs camp for better accommodation, with 13 currently living in their own houses while 18 of them acquired land to start the process of building their own houses. Added to this is the fact that over 100 youths in the IDP camps and in the community got attracted and were absorbed into farming, while 43 beneficiaries whose children were out of school sent them back to school after several years of drop out owing to poverty.
Also, 31 of the beneficiaries acquired and renewed their mobile phones, with 61 identifiable thriving farming businesses contributing incomes to the beneficiaries. Ironically, over 66 per cent of the beneficiaries are women. In all, the IDP project significantly contributed to increased food production and reduction in the incidences of hunger and malnutrition among the IDPs. Indeed, the NANTS project contributed to the protection and rehabilitation of the vulnerable population displaced from their homes and means of livelihood; strengthened their social security system; created agro markets and enhanced food security and sufficiency. Mr. Chiroma Isaiah, the Chairman of the IDP Camp in Kuje said that the IDPs were traditional farmers who were displaced from their communities. He disclosed that the project rekindled their hopes and improved their livelihoods by fostering access to agricultural tools.
Hear him: “By the time I came to Abuja I had nothing and I was begging all around, but this programme has facilitated the return of my eight children to school. Currently, three of them have finished secondary school while one has graduated from the college of education.
”Now I have built my house and I have bought another piece of land. Through this project many of us have motorcycles that they use for commercial purposes.’’ On his part, Malam Umar Gola from Durumi IDP Camp, commended NANTS, ECOWAS-RAAF and the AECID for the support.Gola who lost his wife and two children to insurgency said that the project improved his capacity beyond what he originally knew about farming by providing training on improved technology that resulted in improved productivity. “Now I have gone beyond maize and groundnut production and have about two tonnes of beans produced and stored to be sold when the price increases. I have procured two plots of land in Karshi to build my own house.
“This project has positively impacted so much on us; it provided us with seedlings and funds that helped us to diversify apart from farming,’’ Gola said. He, however, expressed concern that they were still faced with the challenge of herders’ attack on their farms. Similarly, Mrs Rufkatu Peter, said that the project promoted her gradual exit from IDP status. She described the NANTS project as a landmark approach towards ensuring that food security was taken to the next level in terms of sustainability. In her words, “I ran away from Goza pregnant and delivered twins in Abuja when the project started. I zealously joined the project with my children to make ends meet, and was later joined by my husband.
“Today, from this project, we are living in our own house and all our five children are in school and well taken care of.” Earlier, the National President of NANTS, Dr Ken Ukaoha said that research showed that over 90 per cent of people in IDP camps were traditionally farmers before they were displaced from their communities. He observed that the project had enhanced food and nutrition security mechanisms for IDPs and brought peace among households in the host communities through regular interface, negotiation strategies as well as agronomic training and agriculture extension services. “We provided farm inputs, procured and developed demonstration farms and training manuals, took them there where we trained them in crop agronomy and 300 households regained their livelihoods. They were originally farmers before they were displaced, so we needed to buy everything they needed to start life so as to move them from the roads where they were begging,” he stated.
Ukaoha, however, solicited continued support for the project to capture more IDPs. He said that records indicated that there are about 6, 348 IDP households in Abuja and the project only captured 300.He commended ECOWAS and the AECID for remaining profoundly resilient in assisting the poor IDPs. The Director, Spanish Cooperation Agency, Mr Anton Leis said that Spain would continue to strengthen its cooperation with Nigeria and ECOWAS. This, according to him, will enable them to finance and support more similar projects. “This is one of the best and most important projects implemented with our support. We thank everyone involved in making a difference in the project as we have seen and the opportunity to hear from the beneficiaries,’’ Leis said.
While recalling some challenges faced by the world in the last four years, Leis urged the beneficiaries not to lose hope. “Nigeria is a country of hope. Your personal experience expresses some hope and it is not just in Nigeria or this part of the world that we have internally displaced people, we have a hundred million people all over the world that are refugees or IDPs. “Your stories depicted hardships and difficult times, but with some help from us, ECOWAS and NANTS you are able to pull through. Your kids are in schools, you have built your houses, you can make a living and that calls for congratulations for everybody supporting this work,’’ he said.
By: Calista Ezeaku
Featured
Fubara Pledges Support For Corporate Organisations In Rivers …Says PPP Business Model Responsible For NLNG’s Success
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has pledged the continued support of his administration for the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
Fubara gave the assurance while receiving the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NLNG, Mr Adeleye Falade, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.
He assured that his administration would continue to contribute its own quota in support of the NLNG.
According to him, the success of the organisation is equally the success of the government of Rivers State and the success of the Federal Government.
“Our duty is to make sure that we support whoever is operating in our state. We are the ones here. If we don’t support you and you don’t succeed, we also will not succeed and Mr President will also not succeed.
“So, the success of your establishment is the success of our state, and overall success of Nigeria. So you can count on our support. Wherever you think we need to come in to support you, please do not hesitate to call upon us.
“You just mentioned here that your predecessor left a handover note showcasing the level of support that he got from the state. It is not going to be different in your own case. I can assure you that. I will also ensure that other units of the government will liaise with you when necessary. So even if you can’t get to me, you can always get to them and if there is anything we can do to help your establishment succeed, we will do it for you,” he said.
The governor attributed the success of the NLNG to the Public Private Partnership ( PPP) business model adopted by the Federal Government and the multinational oil companies.
The NLNG is jointly owned by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 49%, Shell Gas B.V. with 25.6%, Total LNG Nigeria Ltd with 15%, and Eni International with 10.4%.
The partnership model allows for shared risks, costs, and expertise in the LNG sector.
The governor noted that the NLNG has not only survived the difficult business environment but has made sustained progress in the nearly three decades of its existence.
According to him, the decision of the Federal Government to allow the multinational oil companies who have the needed expertise to run the establishment while government plays a supervisory role over it has largely been responsible for its success.
“I’m very proud to say that if there is one establishment that has shown resilience, that has survived in the face of all the political issues prevalent in this country, it is the NLNG. And what is the reason? The reason is very simple. Government has no business in business. That is the truth. Leave the business for those people who can operate it. Let the government play its supervisory role to ensure that there is compliance with the laws; ensure that standards are maintained and also ensure that the right people with the needed expertise are at the helm of affairs. That’s all. I think that is the reason why we still record a lot of successes in NLNG,” he said.
In his opening remark, the new NLNG boss, Mr Adeleye Falade, who led other top officials of the company on the visit, expressed appreciation to the governor for granting them audience, and appealed to the State Government to continue to support the organisation.
“We appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and deepen this important relationship.We deeply value the support the Rivers State Government continues to extend in fostering an enabling operating environment for businesses. NLNG remains deliberate in its contribution to Nigeria’s development, and Rivers State, our primary host, continues to be central to that commitment,” he said.
Falade said the company has continued to work with its host communities to strengthen their capacity to identify, prioritise, and deliver sustainable development initiatives that create lasting impact.
According to him, communities including Amadi-ama, Abua, Ekpeye, Okrika, Kalabari, and Emohua have continued to benefit from this model.
He said that beyond community infrastructure, the NLNG has sustained investments in economic empowerment through initiatives such as Vocational Innovation and Business Empowerment Scheme (VIBES) and Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) schemes.
These, he said, were designed to support small businesses, build capacity, and stimulate local enterprise across the state.
Among officials of the company who accompanied the Managing Director were General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall; Manager, Government Relations, Mr Abdul Umar; Manager, Community Relations, Dr. Yemi Adeyemi; Head of Government Relations, Mr Mike Igoni; Head of Community Liaison and Engagement, Chief Ifeanyi Umeh.
Others are Technical Assistant to Executive Leadership, Mr Hassan Saleh; Senior Media and Publicity Advisor, Mr Emma Nwatu; Government Relations Advisor, Miss Homa Nmegbu; Senior Government Relations Advisor, Mrs Kate Allison, and Audio -Visual Advisor, Mr Dawood Ahmed.
The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians and the international community of the country’s stability following a recent advisory by the United States authorising the departure of non-emergency personnel from its embassy in Abuja.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this in a statement issued yesterday by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.
According to the minister, public institutions across the country remain fully operational, with no disruption to governance, economic activities, or daily life.
This followed the decision of the United States Mission in Nigeria to suspend visa appointments at its Embassy in Abuja.
The mission’s decision was contained in a post shared on its official X handle, yesterday.
It stated, “U.S. Embassy Abuja is closed for visa appointments. Applicants should check their email for details on rescheduled appointments.”
The mission, however, clarified that visa operations at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos remain ongoing.
The development comes amid a broader security advisory issued by the United States, which authorised the departure of non-emergency staff from its Abuja embassy and expanded its Nigeria travel blacklist to 23 states.
The State Department issued the authorised departure order on Tuesday, alongside an updated travel advisory that added Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger and Taraba to its highest warning category, “Do Not Travel.”
While the overall advisory rating for Nigeria remains at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” the department warned that some areas face increased risks due to crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping and limited healthcare availability.
According to the advisory, Americans are often targeted for kidnapping and robbery, while terrorist attacks continue to pose a threat across multiple locations, including markets, religious centres, hotels and public gatherings.
It also raised concerns about the state of emergency healthcare in the country, noting that hospitals often require immediate cash payments, ambulance services are unreliable and poorly equipped, and blood supply systems are inconsistent.
Medical facilities in Nigeria, the advisory said, generally do not meet United States or European standards, adding that evacuation may be necessary in medical emergencies.
The advisory further urged US citizens in Nigeria to enrol in the Smart Traveller Enrollment Programme, avoid large gatherings, vary their routines and maintain evacuation plans that do not depend on US government assistance.
It also recommended that individuals establish “proof of life” protocols with family members in the event of kidnapping.
The blacklist is divided into regional clusters. Borno, Kogi, Yobe and northern Adamawa remain under the terrorism, crime and kidnapping category, with the State Department warning that terrorist groups continue to plan and carry out attacks, sometimes in collaboration with local gangs.
For Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara, the advisory points to widespread banditry, communal clashes and kidnapping, while noting that security operations may occur without warning.
In the South-East and Niger Delta, states including Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo and Rivers (excluding Port Harcourt) are flagged for crime, kidnapping and civil unrest, with armed gangs and violent protests posing significant risks.
The latest update added Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger and Taraba to the “Do Not Travel” list, citing the spread of insecurity into new regions, particularly in the Middle Belt where farmer-herder conflicts have intensified.
The advisory described the security situation in these newly added states as unstable and unpredictable, with counter-operations by security forces likely to occur without prior notice.
Idris, however, described the US advisory as a routine precaution based on internal protocols, stressing that it does not reflect the overall security situation in the country.
“While we acknowledge isolated security challenges in some areas, there is no general breakdown of law and order, and the vast majority of the country remains stable,” Idris said.
He noted that ongoing security operations have recorded measurable gains across several regions, attributing the progress to coordinated military efforts, intelligence-led interventions, and strengthened inter-agency collaboration.
“Our security agencies remain actively engaged in protecting lives and property, and the results of these efforts are increasingly evident,” he added.
According to the minister, recent operations have disrupted criminal networks, curtailed the activities of armed groups, and improved safety in vulnerable communities.
Idris also maintained that Nigeria remains open for business, travel, and investment, adding that ongoing economic reforms are strengthening investor confidence and enhancing the country’s global standing.
He said, “International partners and investors continue to engage actively with Nigeria, reflecting confidence in the country’s stability and long-term prospects.”
The minister urged foreign governments to ensure that their advisories reflect current realities and ongoing progress in the country.
“We encourage our international partners to continuously engage with Nigerian authorities to obtain a more comprehensive and current understanding of the situation on the ground,” he said.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to sustaining security improvements and ensuring the safety of citizens and visitors, assuring that Nigeria remains a safe and welcoming destination.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, yesterday extended interim relief measures to the people of Bille Kingdom as the government intensifies efforts to address the ongoing environmental degradation affecting the area.
This was contained in a statement by the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Juliana Masi, yesterday.
The governor, during a working visit to Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area, reassured residents of his deep concern for their health and well-being.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to the persistent gas emissions observed in the community’s land and water sources since November 2025.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dagogo Wokoma, the governor announced immediate interventions to address urgent needs.
Some of the relief measures include the provision of potable water and essential medical services through the release of ?100 million as palliative support for the affected community.
According to the SSG, “Governor Fubara remains deeply committed to the welfare of the people of Bille Kingdom. Although unable to attend in person due to pressing state engagements, he is fully aware of the situation and determined to tackle the root cause of the environmental challenge”.
The governor assured residents that the state government would not relent in its efforts to provide a permanent solution to the gas emissions, emphasizing that the current intervention is only a temporary measure to ease the suffering of the people.
He further urged members of the community to remain law-abiding and continue supporting his administration, noting that he has consistently demonstrated a track record of fulfilling his promises.
Earlier, the Chairman, Council of Chief for Bille Kingdom, Chief Bennet Dokubo, expressed joy over the State visit, describing Fubara as a leader who listens to the plight of the people.
He urged the governor to critically look into the gas emission which he described as dangerous to human health.
“If we take you into the river, we notice that the entire environment is bubbling and smelling.
“We most humbly urge you to critically look into this situation. This is something strange we have never experienced before. It is not good for human health,” the monarch stressed.
