The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has appealed to the United Nations and its partners to consider the local populations in the recruitment of staff delivering humanitarian services in insurgency areas.
The minister made the appeal during a discussion with the UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed, who was in Nigeria to assess the ongoing rebuilding efforts and humanitarian services being coordinated by the UN systems in north eastern Nigeria.
A statement by the ministry’s director of Information, Victoria Akem Agba-Attah said, Mrs Ahmed noted that including the local populations will serve as a way of empowering the people.
She also noted that there is glaring knowledge gaps among the local NGOs that would need to be filled, in order for them to manage the magnitude of humanitarian interventions required, hence capacity building become more imperative because there are other parts of the country where humanitarian needs and interventions are also required urgently, besides the north east.
The minister, who is the Chairperson of Inter-ministerial committee on the North East, told the UN Envoy that the capacity of the NGOs needs to be enhanced to enable them respond more effectively and efficiently in bringing succour and relief to the victims of the insurgency.
The minister said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will give all the needed support to the UN partners working in the zone to return normalcy in the area.
Speaking earlier, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Mrs Amina Muhammed said the UN has expended over $900 million in 2017 on humanitarian interventions and reconstruction efforts in the north east.
While agreeing that more resources are still needed in area of reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the zone, she said the UN is ready to do whatever is required to assist the victims return to normal lives.
Source: Daily Trust