Humanitarian
relief items in IDP
Humanitarian
relief items in IDP
Private Sector Mobilises for Resources for humanitarian
Interventions in North-East
The Nigerian Private Sector Initiative (NPSI) has mobilised
funds to support the ongoing interventions in humanitarian crisis
caused by Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.
The UN and founding private sector members of the initiative
have called for more businesses to come together and collaborate
under the platform of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund-Private Sector
Initiative to tackle the crisis.
FirstBank Chairman Ibukun Awosika, made the appeal during a
visit to some selected Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in
Maiduguri, Borno.
Awosika who Led some partners and leading Nigerian companies
from the banking, energy and legal sectors, said it was the
first-ever joint humanitarian fund in which the private sector was
partnering with the UN and Nigerian business leaders to raise fund
for rebuilding the northeast.
“This is the second team of the private sectors groups who came
to Borno state and what we are diong is engaging with the realities
on ground to enabled us understand the scale of what we have on
ground in order to solved the proble,” she said.
She said that the joint initiative seeked to harness the
financial resources and expertise of Nigeria’s private sector to
contribute to a more effective and timely humanitarian response in
Northeast.
“The situation is quite overwhelming, hearthtrenching. I look at
the children and i see the problems of the future if they dont get
what they really need interms of education, healthcare support and
stable family life.
“Its a national problem, even though what we see is more of
international support but traditionally as a people we are known
for looking out to support for our own people.
“Apart from what the rest of the worlds are diong to help us, we
should help outselves in any layers; through political, government
and through citizens decisions. It is about mobilising the whole of
Nigerians to support this course.
“It dosnt matter what part of the country we are from. This is
our country, so we must bring our selves together to help our
brothers and sisters and our children for the sake of our
nation.
“It wasnt about what the private sectors and First Bank can do
as institutions because at the end of the day, how many are we in
this institutions.For me it is about what the whole Nigerians can
do to support one another.
“It is about us mobilising every single kobo ffom the N100,
N500, N1000,N50,000, N100 million and the God knows how the funds
from institutions like first bank and other sector,”she said.
She urged the 200 million Nigerians in the country to support
the IDPs who were in dire need of help.
She added “We have seen alot of young people but they are not
useful to us untill we educate them and enhanced thier livelihood
before they can become human capital.
Mr Biyi Ologbami, Managine Director, Ecobank, said that the
visit was part of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund-Private Sector
Initiative (NHF-PSI), founded in 2018; to fast track collaboration
between the UN, humanitarian organisations and indigenous firms in
raising funds.
Ologbami said that the platform is a first in the world for
humanitarian action, and it is a major innovation that would serve
as a blueprint for other country-based funds.
He said that the initiative would go along way toward addressing
the water sanitation, health, shelter education needs of the
displaced population as well as ressettled them back to thier home
of abode.
Edward Kallon, The UN Humaniterian Coordinator in Nigeria, said
the partnership would go along way to enhanced effective response
to the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people in
the northeast.
He said that the aim of its partnership was to benefit from the
techinical knowledge in enhancing the work of the UN on how
mobilised resources from business community to contribute to the
crises.
According to statistics by UN Office for Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF)
has so far raised $83 million in contributions and pledges to
date.
The Dellegation also paid a curtessy call on the Borno Deputy
Gov. Umar Kadafur where they briefed him on thier mission to Borno
state.
In his remarks, Kadafur, lauded the Private Sector initiative
adding that it would go along way in allieviating the surffering of
the displaced persons in the state.
He said the government would continue to provide all the
neccessary support and enabling environment for the United Nationa
and other International donor partners to implement thier
programs.
By PRNigeria