By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Nigeria is presently hosting and providing international protection for about 100,000 refugees in addition to over 8,500,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), according to Dr. Betta Edu, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Edu disclosed this while presenting the country’s position paper during the Global Refugees Forum held at Palexpo Geneva, Switzerland, to brainstorm on global migration, refugee problems and durable solutions.
The Minister who joined the UN agencies, humanitarian and development organisations, NGOs, refugee-led organisations and faith-based groups at the Global Refugee Forum, explained that Nigeria has a deep understanding of the daunting challenges refugees endure.
Rasheed Zubair, the Minister Special Adviser on Media and Publicity made this commitment on behalf of Nigeria to tangible pledges ranging from financial and material contributions, technical and policy support as well as working together in solidarity to find lasting solutions for the millions of refugees around the world forced to flee from their original places of abode.
She said: “As a nation, we have opened our hearts and borders, offering international protection to those in dire need.
“Consequently, the Federal Government has made pledges: to include refugees, IDPs, returnees and their host communities in national development plans, to strengthen its protection capacity, to ensure the availability and access to durable solutions for refugees and IDPs and to continue playing active and constructive roles in regional and sub-regional efforts to address the root causes of displacement.