CSOs Push For National Humanitarian Relief Fund For Displaced Persons

The Civil Society Budget Implementation Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (CBIAMEC) has called for the establishment of a dedicated Humanitarian Relief, Recovery and Reintegration Fund (HRRRF) to address Nigeria’s worsening displacement crisis.

At a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, the chairman of CBIAMEC, Ambassador Agbonkpolor Splendor, said the scale of the country’s humanitarian challenges has outstripped the resources currently available to government agencies such as the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Splendor said violent conflicts, terrorism, farmer-herder clashes, floods, windstorms and other disasters have displaced millions of Nigerians. He noted that beyond losing their homes, many victims have also been stripped of their livelihoods, dignity and hope.

“Behind every statistic is a human life – a child without school, a mother without shelter, a father without livelihood,” Splendor said. “Nigeria today is faced with one of the most complex humanitarian situations in our history, and the time has come for a permanent, well-coordinated solution.”
He explained that the proposed fund would provide swift responses to emergencies without the usual delays caused by budgetary processes while ensuring holistic support for displaced persons. This would include not only food and shelter but also education, healthcare, skills training, and livelihood opportunities to help victims reintegrate into society.

Splendor urged the National Assembly to begin the legislative process to establish the HRRRF as a permanent national mechanism backed by transparency, independent audits, and periodic public reporting.
He said funding responsibility should involve state governments, development partners and the private sector, not solely on the federal government.

“Each state must contribute systematically to this fund. By doing so, they will share ownership and responsibility in addressing crises within their jurisdictions, while benefiting from national coordination,” he stated.

Calling for urgent action, Splendor described the proposed fund not as charity but as “justice, responsibility, and the lifeline for millions of Nigerians.” He warned that failure to act would amount to abandoning vulnerable citizens and refugees who look to the nation for survival and a future.