Over two million persons displaced in Nigeria, says minister
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouk, on Thursday said the country currently has over two million displaced persons.
She said the affected persons were displaced as a result of the activities of insurgents and bandits or through communal clashes.
Farouk disclosed this in an interview with State House correspondents after a visit to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister said, “As of today, we have over two million displaced persons in the country, ranging from those displaced by insurgency, banditry, communal clashes and so on.
“The mandate of the ministry is to provide effective communication of national and international humanitarian interventions, ensure strategic disaster education and response as well as to formulate and implement policies and programmes geared towards social protection and inclusion of our citizens.
“The ministry is doing its best to see that people who are displaced in this country are given the necessary support by way of supporting their livelihoods, rebuilding their homes in areas of disasters and settling those who have fled their places seeking for refuge, provided their communities are safe for them to return. This is what we are working on and we hope to achieve the desired result.”
On the purpose of her visit to Buhari, the minister said it was meant to thank the President for his support on issues relating to persons with disabilities in the country.
She recalled that the President had in January 2019 assented to the bill on the prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities in the country, describing it as the first milestone.
“Mr President also graciously appointed the chairman, board members and the executive secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
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