Buni meets UN coordinator, calls for shared prosperity, development

Mai Mala Buni, Yobe State Governor and Chairman, Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum at the weekend had discussions with Mohammed Malick Fall, the United Nations and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria on measures to be taken to strengthen development partnerships with the Yobe State Government and others.

The meeting centered on shared commitments to the transition from the humanitarian response stage to a long-term recovery, resilience, and development stage.

It also focused on the implementation of the State Action Plan (SAP) on Durable Solutions to Internal Displacements.

The governor highlighted the success of the partnership so far in supporting humanitarian response, education, healthcare, livelihoods, governance, peace- building initiatives, and climate resilience in the State.

Buni reiterated his administration’s commitment to the ownership of the durable solutions.

“Yobe State has institutionalised this through a comprehensive State Action Plan, dedicated IDP policy, and a robust State Advisory Committee on Durable Solutions.

The governor added that Yobe State Government adopted a people-centred and inclusive approach, giving displaced persons and the host communities a true sense of belonging in decision-making and the implementation processes.

The governor noted that the State Government had in the last three years committed 5% of its annual budget to the durable solutions plan.

The durable solutions in 2025 received an increased allocation of 24.9% to reflect the State’s readiness towards meeting the UN action agenda on durable solutions.

Earlier, Fall congratulated Governor Buni on the successful hosting of the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum (LCBGF).

He noted that this achievement is a testament to the State’s leadership and organizational capabilities to implement the State Action Plan on Solution to Internal Displacements.

The UN Coordinator appreciated the significant progress made by Yobe State since the launch of its Action Plan on Durable Solutions, becoming the cornerstone of Government’s efforts to address internal displacements.

Fall emphasised that, “while Yobe State has already recorded commendable success in piloting durable solutions, it is now time to consolidate these gains and move towards full-scale implementation”.

He described the current pilot as a reference model that could be scaled up and adapted to other regions facing similar challenges.

The UN Resident Coordinator assured Governor Buni of UN readiness to mobilise additional technical and financial resources to support State’s endeavours with a continued commitment to collaborative actions.