Switzerland has pledged to commit 25 percent of its total budget for the North-East sub-region to support Yobe State’s implementation of the new Policy Document for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
A statement made available to newsmen by Yobe State commissioner for information and home affairs, Abdullahi Bego, said the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Nicholas Lang, revealed his country’s readiness to support the state during a cocktail meeting with Gov. Buni and other officials from the state at the Swiss Ambassador’s residence in Abuja.
Lang said the Swiss government’s decision was in recognition of Yobe’s ‘potential and dedication’ to provide durable solutions to internal displacement and lift itself out of humanitarian assistance.
While lauding Governor Buni for the state government’s openness to work with external partners, Lang said: “We will commit 25 per cent of our budget for North-East Nigeria in the next four years to support the implementation of Yobe State’s Action Plan on durable solutions” .
The Swiss ambassador commended the Buni administration for the meticulous work that went into producing the policy document for the internally displaced, revealing that the special adviser of the UN Secretary General on Solutions to Internal Displacement, Mr Robert Piper, had also hailed Yobe’s policy document for IDPs as a “global model” that others can copy and learn from.
Mr Lang said the donor and humanitarian community was particularly impressed with the way the state government took ownership of the entire process that led to the development of the policy document and its meaningful engagement with all strata of society.
Responding, Gov. Buni said the Action Plan was geared towards providing a lasting solution to the problem of internal displacement arising from conflicts.
“The Action Plan, together with other relevant policies and institutional frameworks in the state, will create a lasting solution that not only meet immediate needs but also support the short-, medium- and long-term socio-economic recovery and development of the state,” the governor said.
He noted that Yobe would commit five percent of its annual budget for the next three years “towards creating sustainable conditions that facilitate a comprehensive transition to development through voluntary, safe, and dignified return, local integration, or relocation of IDPs and host communities”.
“Our focus is on reviving local economies by investing in key priority areas to support human capital development, especially in the core sectors of health, education, agricultural, and entrepreneurial activities, enabling families to rebuild their livelihoods and achieve self-sufficiency”
Continuing, Buni said the state government also “intends to support our recovering communities and promote social cohesion, reconciliation, and community engagement to heal the wounds of conflict and foster unity.”
It would be recalled that Gov. Buni, along with federal and state officials and members of the diplomatic corps, launched the Yobe State Action Plan for Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Center, Abuja, on Thursday.
Switzerland is part of the donor and humanitarian countries/organizations that support the North-East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe to recover and rebuild from many years of Boko Haram attacks.