The National Economic Council (NEC) has endorsed a special programme for the alleviation of the plight of displaced persons and their host communities.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Me Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the 145th NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said the objective of the programme was to improve access to services and economic opportunities by displaced persons across Nigeria.
“Today at the National Economic Council meeting, which was chaired by His Excellency, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, a presentation was made on a program called Solutions for the internally displaced and Host communities.
“This is a presentation made by Hajara Ahmed, the project coordinator of the World Bank supported program, and the objective of the program is in recognition of the fact that the internally displaced situation calls For greater investment. Long term and rather than emergency solutions.
“The objective of the program is to improve access to basic service, services and economic opportunities for the Internally Displaced Persons across communities in affected local governments in Nigeria and among clear objectives is investment and resilient infrastructure and services for internally displaced persons and host communities,” he said.
He said state governments are expected to appoint and forward the names of their focal persons to the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, which is coordinating the programme.
“The expectation is that states will express interest and also to assign a focal person in each of the participating states to facilitate communication on solid and communicating the name of the focal person to the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, which is coordinating the program, as well as recognize that the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning as the implementing entity at the federal level shall coordinate all activities, as well as work with states to ensure that the project objectives are delivered,” he said.
He said the ministry would leverage the expertise of the North-East Development Commission, which has handled a similar programme in the past.
“The National North-East Development Commission will support the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning within their area of expertise, so that we can fastrack implementation, as well as support both the project’s steering committee and the technical committee that will be established,” he said.
