Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, has said the federal government is partnering with the private sector to develop market-based solutions aimed at addressing the country’s growing internally displaced persons (IDP) crisis.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday regarding ongoing efforts to resettle displaced Nigerians, Doro acknowledged that providing a specific timeline for clearing IDP camps would be unrealistic given the complex nature of displacement in the country.
He said, “The issues of displacement in our country is not just a humanitarian issue. It is a development issue, it is an economic issue as well. And one of the things we are doing currently in Lagos in the last two days is working with the private sector so that we can provide a market-based solution to the IDP crisis in our country.
“It will be difficult for a timeline, but what we are looking to do is to ensure that the people currently in IDP camps are provided with the support needed. We’re providing infrastructure, we’re building homes to try, in areas where crises have abated, to be able to resettle the individuals in our camp as soon as possible. Very difficult for me to put a timeline on that.”
Further speaking, he said, “It is not easy to just provide a timeline to say that in six months’ time, for example, we will resettle all individuals currently in IDP camps because we’re still facing humanitarian challenges, we’re still facing crisis, and the displacement in our country is multifactorial. Apart from crisis that cause displacement, issues of climate, and what have you, also contribute to displacement.
“Currently, what we are doing is to ensure that those in IDP camps at the moment are being supported by being provided humanitarian assistance and we’re working with partners, like I said, to try and resettle them as quickly as we can.”
Melissa Enoch
About the Author
