Nigeria has joined the United Nations and other world leaders to commit to tangible pledges ranging from financial and material contributions, technical and policy support as well as working together in solidarity to find lasting solutions for refugees around the world.
Nigeria’s minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, gave the country’s commitment when she joined UN agencies, humanitarian and development organisations, NGOs, refugee-led organisations and faith-based groups at the Global Refugee Forum in Palexpo Geneva, Switzerland to brainstorm on global migration, refugee problems and durable solutions.
Presenting Nigeria’s position at the gathering, the minister said Nigeria had a deep understanding of the daunting challenges refugees endure.
She said; “As a nation, we have opened our hearts and borders, offering international protection to those in dire need.
“Consequently, the federal government has made pledges to include refugees, IDPs, returnees and their host communities in national development plans to strengthen its protection capacity, to ensure the availability and access to durable solutions for refugees and IDPs and to continue playing active and constructive roles in regional and sub-regional efforts to address the root causes of displacement.
“Nigeria is presently hosting and providing international protection for about 100,000 refugees in addition to over 8,500,000 IDPs,” she said.
According to her, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to fulfil the pledges resulted in the development and adoption of a roadmap for the implementation of the GCR, which was first adopted by the Federal Executive Council.
The minister affirmed Nigeria’s determination to facilitate the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees based on the following five National pledges to enhance self-reliance with 25% of working-age refugees participating in economic development programs,
to complete inclusion in the National Social Registry for poor and vulnerable refugees, aiming for at least 5% benefiting from social protection.
In his opening address, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi referenced the global divisiveness and unprecedented number of conflicts causing displacement.
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