Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima has assured donor organizations and development partners that the present administration will fully support initiatives aimed at alleviating the suffering of persons displaced by conflict and natural disasters within and outside the country’s borders.
He gave the assurance on Wednesday when he received a delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) led by its Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, Mr. Raouf Mazou, on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Commending the UN for its assistance to Nigeria over the years, VP Shettima said: “I know how vital the UN system is. You have assisted us tremendously in addressing our challenges in the Northeast and the nation as a whole.”
He assured the delegation of President Bola Tinubu’s continued collaboration and partnership with key stakeholders in addressing critical issues affecting the well-being of citizens and other persons affected by conflict and natural disasters in the country and elsewhere.
“For Nigeria, we will continue to accommodate our brother Africans displaced by conflict and natural disasters. I want to assure you that our partnership with the UN family will only be strengthened. We are open to new ideas for collaboration, especially the UN’s emphasis on sustainable resettlement of refugees. By embracing sustainable pathways in resettling people, we can avoid donor fatigue,” the Vice President emphasized.
Shettima noted that the Nigerian government acknowledges and understands the difficulty of the situation in the Sahelian region, noting that “there is an incestuous relationship between ecology, economy, and insecurity in the Sahelian region. There is endemic poverty further compounded by the fallout of climate change.”
He said the challenges experienced in the country were unique, assuring however that “the President is working round the clock to get things right. We are trying to diversify the economic base of the nation. We are working assiduously to fine-tune the structure.”
Nigerian Tribune
