Nigeria will keep accepting African refugees displaced by wars, disasters, Shettima tells UN
Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has assured the United Nations (UN), that Nigeria will continue to accommodate fellow Africans displaced by wars and natural disasters.
Shettima said this in Abuja on Wednesday, while receiving a delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the State House.
The vice president assured the delegation that President Bola Tinubu will fully support initiatives designed to alleviate the suffering of displaced persons within and outside Nigeria’s borders.
“I know how vital the UN system is. You have assisted us tremendously in addressing our challenges in the north-east and the nation as a whole”, he said.
“For Nigeria, we will continue to accommodate our brother Africans displaced by conflict and natural disasters. I want to assure you that our partnership with the UN family will only be strengthened.
“We are open to new ideas for collaboration, especially the UN’s emphasis on sustainable resettlement of refugees.
“By embracing sustainable pathways in resettling people, we can avoid donor fatigue.”
Shettima added that the government acknowledged and understood the difficulty of the situation in the Sahelian region strained by a shaky economy, insecurity, poverty, and climate change.
He assured that Tinubu is working “round the clock” to get things right.
On his part, Raouf Mazou, the UNHCR assistant high commissioner for operations, commended Nigeria’s treatment of refugees, adding that the agency is working to transition towards sustainable development strategies.
“The World Bank has a facility for refugees and host communities, and we would be accessing these facilities to see how we can bring additional support primarily to help the host communities,” Mazou said.
“We are now focusing on a shift primarily from providing humanitarian assistance to development. We are making sure that people become more self-reliant as much as possible.
“We are working with the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation to tap into the resources of the private sector for this sustainable programming.”
