The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group have signed a 5-year cooperation agreement with the UN Refugee Agency to advance socio-economic inclusion and create sustainable solutions for refugees and their host communities in Nigeria.
According to a statement, the partnership was sealed after TGI signed a memorandum of understanding with UNHCR in Abuja aiming to provide targeted agricultural support to help refugees generate income.
Farouk Gumel, vice chairman of TGI Group said the partnership with UNHCR will see the integration of internally displaced persons and refugees into the forefront of Nigeria’s workforce.
“We believe in inclusive growth and community empowerment, and we will leverage our work with smallholder farmers in our out-grower programs as a model to integrate these communities,” he said.
According to TGI, Nigeria has 34 million hectares of arable land, but only 6.5 million hectares are dedicated to permanent crops, indicating significant room for economic growth in the sector.
Arjun Jain, UNHCR’s representative in Nigeria noted the importance of the partnership in promoting self-reliance among refugees and IDPs.
“Nigeria is home to 3.6 million IDPs and 108,000 refugees and one of the key priorities of the partnership is to create self-reliance opportunities for refugees and IDPs,” he said.
He added that the partnership with TGI is central to a collaborative approach, aiming for sustainable solutions and reducing dependence on humanitarian assistance.
“The partnership will focus on various initiatives, including value chain integration, land recovery, agricultural inputs, skills development, employment, and financial inclusion,” he said
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