The Federal Government has launched the National Policy on Internally Displaced persons, IDPs.
The Policy was launched in Abuja at an event tagged Humanitarian Open House with the theme the Open House “Coordinating for Durable Humanitarian Solutions; the Journey so far.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya stated that new realities and emerging trends in the humanitarian space in Nigeria were taken into cognizance before developing and adopting the policy.
“I am launching to the world the National Policy on IDP which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in September 2021. As you are aware, the process of developing and adoption of the policy commenced in 2001, within this period the initial draft of the policy has been reviewed severally to reflect new realities and emerging trends in humanitarian space in Nigeria”
This policy intends to provide a framework for national responsibility towards prevention and protection of citizens and, in some cases, non-citizens, from incidences of arbitrary and other forms of internal displacement, meet their assistance and protection needs during displacement, and ensure their rehabilitation, return, reintegration and relocation after displacement, she added.
The new policy which comprises six chapters contains the Right and Obligations of IDPs, roles of government and humanitarian actors, including communities, international actors, security agencies as well as a funding mechanism.
Earlier, the Minister said that the launch of the Humanitarian Open House was aimed at showcasing Programmes, activities and interventions of the ministry in the last two and half years.
“is a day specifically set aside for the Ministry to engage with the media, strategic partners and stakeholders and offer them the opportunity to ask questions, get clarification and offer useful suggestions by way of their desired feedback. The Open House will encourage a nexus for discussion and interchange of ideas to enable the media professionals to report from an informed position, and provide stakeholders and partners with first-hand information.
It is hoped that with the inauguration of the National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons, domesticating African Union Kampala convention, a treaty of the African Union (AU) that addresses internal displacement caused by armed conflicts and other disasters will follow.
Writing by Hadiza Abdulrahman; Editing by Abdullahi Lamino