FG to host IDPs stakeholders’ forum

The Federal Government is set to engagement local and international stakeholders in a two-day forum on the rehabilitation and restoration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Northeastern part of Nigeria.

The forum as announced in a statement by Laolu Akande, senior special adviser to the Vice President, is scheduled to take place next week in Maiduguri, Borno State, as part of government’s determination to bring relief, restoration and rehabilitation back to the IDPs.

According to Akande, the forum, which is to ensure an efficient coordination and create synergy of purpose in the humanitarian intervention efforts for the North East, between the Federal Government and non-governmental organisations, tagged “North-East Humanitarian Multi-Stakeholder Engagement, with the theme Coordination, Communication and Cooperation, is being convened by the Presidency and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Stakeholders are expected to deliberate on a workable draft that harmonises the joint efforts concerned with the internally displaced and Nigerian refugees in general, at the forum scheduled for October 27, at the Multi-Purpose Hall in the Borno State Government House.

“The forum is expected to establish a framework for coordination by bringing key stakeholders together to produce a blueprint for best practices and ensure an articulated response to emergencies and humanitarian challenges like the present situation in the three most affected states of the North East Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.

“This interactive forum with relevant international and local NGOs, development partners, aid & donor agencies will create an enabling platform to discuss the most efficient approaches to adopt towards complementing efforts of the Federal and State Governments with specialized services in the affected areas and thereby ensure a sustained and coherent system for social services delivery in the region.

“It will put in focus, the desirability for complementary, results-driven, goals-targeted collaboration of efforts among the Federal and State Governments, Non Governmental Organizations’ and other stakeholders within the framework of the Federal Government’s plan in both the short and long term” the statement read in part.

The forum is also expected to further strengthen stakeholders’ coordination and management efforts, to ensure that NGOs are provided with adequate capacity for optimal service delivery as well as services provided by these NGOs having the widest impact in target areas.

Participating NGOs will be eligible for the grants programme of the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE), a program designed to run for 12 months with the goal of increasing the impact of NGO activities in the North East.

“They will also benefit from a 6-month training program by PINE aimed at building their capacities in project reporting, monitoring, alternative dispute resolution and financial management. Participants that require specialised programme training will also be catered for,” Akande said.