The United Nations has renewed its resolve to help Nigeria turn the tide on internal displacement, pledging stronger support for long-term solutions that can help millions of uprooted citizens rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.
Speaking in Abuja during the inaugural Project Steering Committee meeting of the Sustainable Urban Integration of Displaced Population in Adamawa, Yobe and Kano States in Nigeria (SIDPIN), the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, said the global body remained firmly committed to addressing the challenges facing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the country.
The meeting, convened by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), also assessed progress on the European Union-backed Support for Protection, Assistance and Durable Solutions in Sokoto (SPADS) initiative while exploring deeper cooperation to support displaced populations and host communities in the BAY states and other conflict-affected regions.
Fall said the UN’s focus extends beyond emergency assistance, emphasizing sustainable measures that foster self-reliance, social integration and a return to normalcy for displaced families.
According to him, through the UN Common Programme on Durable Solutions, more than 200,000 children and adolescents benefited from educational and skills acquisition programmes in 2025 within communities prioritised for durable solutions.
He further disclosed that nearly 150,000 people gained access to sustainable means of livelihood, while close to 40,000 individuals were able to recover critical civil documentation necessary for accessing services and opportunities.
“We must continue to build on local solutions that are owned by communities and on practical examples that can be expanded and sustained,” he said.
Fall noted that Nigeria is currently home to about 3.5 million internally displaced persons, particularly within areas where IOM operates, stressing that the crisis should not be viewed through a purely humanitarian lens.
“Displacement is also a development challenge and a human rights imperative. No one should be left behind in the long journey towards dignity.
“The momentum for durable solutions is growing in Nigeria, and it must continue to grow stronger,” he said.
Representing the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Olubunmi Olusanya, described collaboration among government agencies, development partners and humanitarian actors as the backbone of any meaningful progress in tackling displacement.
He said achievements recorded under various intervention programmes demonstrated a shared determination to improve living conditions for both displaced persons and the communities hosting them.
“While humanitarian interventions remain indispensable, experience has shown that durable solutions require a more integrated approach that bridges humanitarian action, development efforts and peacebuilding initiatives,” he said.
Also lending his voice to the discussion, Gautier Mignot, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, reiterated the EU’s commitment to initiatives that address the root causes and long-term consequences of insecurity and displacement.
He likened sustainable recovery to laying a solid foundation before raising a structure, stressing that economic opportunities and stronger local economies remain key ingredients for lasting progress.
“We need to build a future, and this future is still largely unbuilt. This can only happen if we focus on sustainable investment.
“Sustainable investment requires economic analysis, proper planning and the involvement of the private sector,” Mignot said.
The EU-supported programmes place special attention on improving living conditions and boosting the resilience of women, children and other vulnerable groups bearing the brunt of displacement and its accompanying socio-economic hardships.
