NAN-H-57
Project
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Maiduguri, Dec. 18, 2016 (NAN) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),on Sunday in Maiduguri inaugurated “Livelihood Project” to empower displaced women and youths in the state.
While inaugurating the project, UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi, enjoined the beneficiaries to take advantage of the programme to become self-reliant in the society.
Grandi said the project was executed in collaboration with the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) with the aim of assisting the IDPs beyond food and shelter.
According to him, the best way to win a war is to empower victims of the war by rehabilitating them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 200 IDPs have so far been trained in different skills such as mechanical works, art designs etc, through the livelihood programme.
Some of the beneficiaries were presented with graduation certificate during the ceremony.
The Chairman of Borno SEMA, Mr Satomi Ahmed, said that the UNHCR had so far built and rehabilitated four structures in the state to empower the IDPs.
Ahmed expressed the readiness of his agency to continue to partner UNHCR to provide more support and assistance to bring succour to the affected persons.
He commended the global agency for its untiring resolve to meeting the needs of refugees and displaced persons in Nigeria and the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Prof Babagana Umara, the state Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, said that the activities of UNHCR in the state were encouraging.
Umara noted that the state government had also established skill acquisition centres through his ministry and that of Poverty Alleviation and Women Affairs.
According to him, the state government has so far trained about 20,000 IDPs in various skills.
“What has happened today is very encouraging because one of the root causes of Boko Haram is poverty; therefore, empowering the youths is very important.
“Training internally displaced persons with a view to creating jobs for themselves is also very important and relevant.
“Therefore, we commend the effort of UNHCR and the state government in creating that livelihood project,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Alih Ibrahim, told NAN that over 200 of them started the training programme in October, adding that the state government paid them allowance during the training them
Ibrahim, who said his father was killed by the insurgents in Bama, said he had acquired a skill in art work and printing.
He urged the government and UNHCR to assist them with tools to enable them to start practicing their skills and earn a living.
“We thank the UNHCR and the government for this good work they are doing and I pray that they should engage more people to benefit from this training,” he said. (NAN)
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