Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

FG moves to include refugees in social safety nets

By John Akubo, Abuja
19 June 2020   |   4:06 am
The Federal Government has taken a step further in developing modalities for inclusion of refugees in the social safety nets through the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

The Federal Government has taken a step further in developing modalities for inclusion of refugees in the social safety nets through the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

According to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, this is to make everyone count, especially the vulnerable groups.

The minister, Sadiya Farouk, spoke yesterday as the ministry joined the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Economic Committee of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Nigerian Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) to celebrate the World Refugee Day (WRD).

“The protection of refugees and other vulnerable groups was among the priorities of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration,” she added.

Farouk urged all hands to be on deck in the drive to protect and assist refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The years celebration is marked with the theme ‘Everyone can make a difference; every action counts’.

According to her, the World Refugee Day (WRD) is also to draw the attention of world leaders and non-governmental actors to refrain from actions, decisions and policies that escalate conflicts in the society and give rise to mass displacement.

The theme cannot be more relevant now that the world is being devastated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has constrained the freedom of people in major cities across Nigeria and the measures put in place to contain its spread.

“This has created untold hardship to the citizens, especially the vulnerable population, including the refugees IDPs. The pandemic has presented an opportunity for the whole world to rethink the way we support refugee communities,” she added.

0 Comments