Without doubt, the Federal
Government has shown unwavering commitment to contain the Boko Haram insurgency
which has brought untoward decimation to lives and property in the North-East.
Available statistics indicate
that over the last decade, more than 20,000 persons had been killed, nine
billion dollars worth of infrastructure destroyed, while no fewer than two
million Nigerians had been displaced from their homes and communities.
The efforts aimed at tackling the
Boko Haram menace, no doubt, had been in collaboration with foreign and
contiguous countries as well as development partners.
However, what observers describe
as one of the most integrated intervention is an African Development Bank
(AfDB) Initiative, inaugurated recently.
Speaking at the launch of the
AfDB-funded Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment
Programme of North East-Nigeria, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi, Osinbajo,
espoused the Buhari Plan, a grand design for North Reconstruction.
Osinbajo said that in 2018 alone,
Nigerian Army’s Operation Last Hold, had helped 35,000 people to voluntarily
return to their homes and communities, and commence the task of rebuilding
lives and livelihoods.
‘The President and
Commander-in-Chief is determined to decisively address the recent escalation in
terrorist activities. Already the Chiefs of Army and Air Staff are relocating
to the North-East, to oversee a scaling-up of our efforts to end the insurgency
completely.
“This, as you all know, has
always been the president’s promise – to defeat Boko Haram and end the
insurgency, and to rebuild and restore the North-East. But there remain
significant challenges especially to lives and livelihoods in the North-East,
which is why we are here.
“Right from its inception, our
administration has demonstrated commitment to rebuilding the North- East.
“In 2016, we unveiled the Buhari
Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the recovery and reconstruction of the
region.
“The plan established the
Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI) to coordinate all
efforts by state and non-state actors, to comprehensively address the economic,
social and humanitarian crises in the region.
“At the core of our efforts is
the conviction that humanitarian interventions are not by themselves enough to
bring about a radical transformation of the circumstances of the North-East
region.’’
The vice president, said that the
Federal Government believed in an approach that combined both humanitarian and
developmental interventions, which meant combining short-term remedies targeted
at vulnerable populations with solutions that looked well ahead into the future
and address medium and long term challenges.
According to the vice president,
the ideal approach is the one that addresses today’s issues, while
simultaneously anticipating and devising solutions for tomorrow’s issues; such
an approach not only wins the war but secures the peace as well.
He said that in practical terms,
it meant taking steps to reinvigorate social services such as the provision of
health care and education, the restoration of civil authority in liberated
areas, and the promotion of livelihoods and human security.
“And this is where the Inclusive
Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Project (IBSIP),
comes in.
“As more people return to their
homes, the provision of essential services and job creation in safe locations
will play a great role in ensuring that these returnees can get the basic tools
and skills that they need to begin to rebuild their lives.
“The IBSIP, which will be
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the African Development
Bank (AfDB), is therefore an intervention focused on investing in
infrastructural restoration, the reactivation of social services and the
rejuvenation of livelihoods alongside the culture of enterprise which are
necessary for sustainable post-conflict communities.
“Our goal is to achieve, through
this project, transformative improvements in water, security, sanitation, food
security, hygiene, nutrition, the provision of primary health care, basic
education, access to markets, entrepreneurship and job creation.’’
He said that the Buhari Plan
identified key areas of critical impact which guided the design of intervention
programmes in the North-East.
Osinbajo said he was excited to
note that the AfDB had, in the design and implementation of the IBSIP, keyed
into the Buhari Plan, and was funding projects that would benefit an estimated
14 million affected people, including over 2.3 million Internally Displaced
Persons.
He said that in line with the
Federal Government’s focus on the vulnerable, 80 per cent of the targeted
beneficiaries were women, children and youth.
The vice president said that the
government was also paying special attention to rural households in the local
government areas affected by the insurgency.
“It has been gratifying to note
how enthusiastically our friends and partners have rallied to our support,
mobilising resources to tackle the crisis in the North-East.
“The AfDB is investing roughly
258 million dollars in the effort to activate critical impact areas of recovery
in the North-East identified in the Buhari Plan,” he said.
On his part, Akinwumi Adesina,
President, AfDB, said that the programme was developed in response to the
Federal Government’s plans for the North-East.
Represented by Ebrima FAAL,
Senior Director, Nigeria Country Department, Abuja, said that the programme was
a good example of effective partnership between the Government of Nigeria and
the development partners.
He said the programme would be
fruitful as it had strong and dedicated teams to drive it to a successful
conclusion.
Adesina said that the bank
remained a strong partner of the federal and state governments in their efforts
to restore livelihoods in the North-East.
“For instance, throughout the period
of heightened conflict in the region with two performing programmes in Yobe and
Taraba states.
“The experience gained and
lessons learnt from implementing these two projects are incorporated in the
design of the current intervention.
“The Inclusive Basic Social
Service Delivery and Livelihood Programme seek to curb fragility aggravated by
the insurgency in the North-East.
“The programme is fully aligned
with four of the five priority areas of the Bank known as the Bank’s High fives
— Light and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa,
and Improve the Quality of Life of Africans.”
According to him, the programme
addresses the improvement of quality of life of the population of the
North-East Nigeria through the restoration of basic services.
He said that the programme
ensured equity by providing access to basic services for all.
The AfDB boss said that the
programme also incorporated special gender considerations by ensuring that
women were active participants in all stages of the project and providing
training for women and youth entrepreneurs to increase their chances for
employment and business opportunities.
He said that in addition, the
programme would address rural electrification as it included integrated energy
systems for pumping of water; lighting for institutions and community centres;
providing for cold chains in health units, among others.
“An estimated population of 14
million affected people including about 2.3 million IDPs (of which 53 per cent
are women, and 57 per cent are children) are expected to directly benefit from
the basic service delivery interventions in health and nutrition, education,
water and sanitation.
“Over 9,000 IDPs and heads of
vulnerable households will receive direct assistance for their economic
reintegration and livelihoods.
“Over 2,000 Small and Medium
Enterprises (79 per cent women) will be reached to develop and enhance their
businesses; 2,900 construction artisans and mechanics working in the informal
sector will be supported to enhance quality and productivity and 2,000
unskilled youth will be trained in economic skills for employment and job
creation.
“The challenge now is on the
implementing agencies to deliver the basic services necessary for quick
recovery of the North-East.
“I can assure you that the Bank
in close collaboration with the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the
UN System and other development partners is well prepared to support the
implementation of the project,’’ he said.
He said that the Bank had been
building the capacity of the implementation teams of the five states over the
last two months.
Earlier, in his welcome address,
Tijjani Tumsah, Vice Chairman, Presidential Committee on the North-East
Initiative, said that the programme aside physical infrastructure, human
capacity would also be boosted.
Sharing similar sentiments, Gov.
Mohammed Abubarkar of Bauchi State, expressed appreciation to Buhari’s
led-administration for coming up with the Buhari Plan.
Abubakar commended the AfDB
initiative, and expressed optimism that it would tackle most of the daunting
challenges confronting the North-East.
The governor pledged his commitment
toward ensuring the successful implementation of the programme.
Observers say that restoration of
security in the North-East is a sin qua non for any meaningful reconstruction;
hence the need for stability to herald the planned rehabilitation of the
region.
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