The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Umar Farouq, today in Abuja launched the National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons IDP.
The policy document, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in September 2021, was launched during the Ministry’s Humanitarian Open House, themed “Coordinating for Durable Humanitarian Solutions: The Journey So Far.’’
In a speech, the minister stated that new realities and emerging trends in the humanitarian space in Nigeria were taken into cognizance before developing and adopting the policy.
She said, “This policy aims to provide a framework for national responsibility towards prevention and protection of citizens and, in some cases, non-citizens, from incidences of arbitrary and other forms of internal displacement, meet their assistance and protection needs during displacement, and ensure their rehabilitation, return, reintegration and relocation after displacement.
“The policy spells out principles guiding humanitarian assistance and implementation of durable solutions in situations of internal displacement in Nigeria, and has adopted the human rights-based approach and its principles”.
The minister also assured that plans were ongoing to domesticate the African Union Kampala Convention, adding, “I wish to formally announce that we have commenced the standalone process of domesticating the African Union Kampala Convention.
“The relevant stakeholders are hereby charged to come up with the draft bill for onward presentation to the FEC for approval and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly for necessary legislative action.”
To ensure efficient and effective implementation of the policy, the minister inaugurated the National Coordination Working Committee, charging the group and other relevant stakeholders to immediately commence elaboration of implementation plan with clear roles and responsibilities of all actors, including monitoring and evaluation strategy, which will ensure compliance with policy framework and scope, and determine the extent of achievement of policy goals and objectives.
Earlier, the minister had said that the launch of the Humanitarian Open House was aimed at showcasing programmes, activities and interventions of the ministry in the last two and half years.
She said, “Today is a day specifically set aside for the ministry to engage with the media, strategic partners and stakeholders and offer them the opportunity to ask questions, get clarification and offer useful suggestions by way of their desired feedback.
“The Open House will encourage a nexus for discussion and interchange of ideas to enable the media professionals report from an informed position, and provide stakeholders and partners with first-hand information to disseminate across their various platforms”.
Hajiya Sadiya later presented the ministry’s Information Brochure and the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) information brochure to the public.
The brochure is an information book containing all information on the ministry, its departments, programmes and agencies.
Also, a pictorial compedium chronicling the programmes, activities and achievements of the ministry was unveiled while the minister took the guests on a tour of the Humanitarian Pavilions.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by Hon. Muhammad Jega, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, who was represented by Director, Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Ali Grema, and the UN Resident Coordinator Matthias Schmale who pledged continued support to the ministry in areas concerning IDPs.
Other dignitaries in attendance were heads of agencies under the ministry, CSOs/NGOs, heads of NSIP clusters, directors in the ministry, strategic partners, editors and humanitarian affairs correspondents.
