NEMA manages 2.1m IDPs nationwide, says D-G

The National Emergency management Agency manages more than 2.1 million Internally Displaced Persons across the country, according to the Director-General, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi.

Sani-Sidi made this known when the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Thursday.

He said more than 90 per cent of the IDPs were mostly people from the insurgency-affected states in the North East.

According to him, the insurgency in the North East, which is one of the major challenges confronting the country, has caused a large displacement of people.

He said with the success recorded by the security agencies, most of the IDPs had started returning to their various communities.

Sani-Sidi said that before now, there were over 11 camps in Adamawa State and about 23 in Borno State, adding that the Adamawa State camps had been reduced to five.

He said: “With the liberation of most communities under the occupation of the insurgents, NEMA has begun the process of dignified return and rehabilitation of IDPs in the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

“This return is voluntary.

“We are not forcing anybody to leave the camp because we are aware that you can’t force somebody to leave safety to harm.”

The director-general said the agency had assisted the IDPs with “exit package” when they left the camps to enable them to re-establish themselves.

He said: “We render assistance with what is called exit package when they are leaving the camp to enable them to continue their life.

“We give them food and non-food items.”

Sani-Sidi said disaster management was was multi-sectoral and multi dimensional.

He noted that the cordial relationship between Nigeria and China over the years had assisted both nations towards disaster risk management and effective humanitarian service delivery.

Sani-Sidi said the investment by Chinese companies in Nigeria had translated to economic growth and development.

He solicited support from the Government of China, especially in the area of capacity building for staff of the agency.

Earlier, Xiaojie said China would partner with NEMA in the area of capacity building and human resource building.

He said in the past 10 years, the relationship between the two countries had grown fast on many fronts.

The ambassador said China would continue to cooperate with the people of Nigeria and NEMA in particular.

He said more than 50,000 Chinese are working, living and doing business in Nigeria and appealed to the Federal Government and NEMA to ensure that their safety was guaranteed.

NAN.