FG to Resettle Borno IDP’s with N20 Billion

FG to Resettle Borno IDP’s with N20 Billion

AREWA AGENDA – The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated the process of resettling Borno State Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) through construction 10,000 housing units spread across 10 Borno councils and estimated to cost about N20 Billion.

Recently, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum made a declaration that all IDPs in camps in the state capital would be resettled before the end of May 2021.

The project, which is under President Muhammadu Buhari’s special initiative for Borno State, being the epicentre of Boko Haram crisis that has led to the displacement of over 1.5 million people in the troubled state, is handled by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) under the supervision of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony of the 10,000 housing units in Ngwom, in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State on Friday, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, said the resettlement of the displaced persons is topmost on the list of Mr. President.

She said the housing units, which is being handled by NEDC, will be spread across the 10 most affected local government areas of the state, adding that 1,000 of the houses will be in Ngwom, while the remaining 9,000 houses will be constructed across the other nine selected local governments.

“And each house will cost the federal government about N2 million which is very modest. For these 1,000 units, we hope to complete them in the next eight weeks. They are semi detached bungalows for four households per bungalow,” she said.

In his remarks, Governor Zulum expressed gratitude to the President Buhari-led federal government for embarking on such project in the state.

Zulum said with the efforts of the federal government and the state, all the IDP camps in Maiduguri will be closed by May 2021, after the displaced persons must have been resettled back to their communities.

Also speaking, the Managing Director, NEDC, Dr. Mohammed Alkali, noted that Borno State lost 80 per cent of its houses to the Boko Haram insurgency, adding that if the number of people in the IDPs camps are put together, there will be definitely the need for more houses.

Arewa Agenda is a publication of young writers from Northern Nigeria towards peaceful coexistence and National Development through positive narratives.