Nigeria, Switzerland, IOM inaugurate project to provide socio-economic relief to vulnerable returnees

Nigeria, Switzerland, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), on Thursday in Abuja inaugurated a project aimed at “providing immediate socio-economic relief to vulnerable migrants Impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) In Northern States of Nigeria”.

Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, said that the inauguration of the project testified to Nigeria’s commitment to the protection of the livelihoods of returnees and potential migrants in Nigeria.

Farouq explained that the project was designed to complement actions funded under the UN COVID-19 Basket Fund by focusing on returned and potential migrants residing in northern Nigeria with beneficiaries drawn from Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, and Jigawa states.

According to her, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, measures were taken to contain its spread to parts of the country.

She said the measures taken posed logistic challenges within supply chains, particularly in relation to cross-border and domestic restriction of movement, which led to disruption in the food supply chain.

The project is expected to span nine months, targeting about 450 returnees, out of which females constitute 40 per cent.

The key objective is to contribute to social migration and impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

“Suffice it to say that the vulnerable groups most affected included the elderly, the chronically ill, people living with disabilities, women and child-headed households, unemployednyouth, refugees and migrants who have lost access to livelihood and opportunities.

“To mitigate the immediate impact of the pandemic, the Federal Government, through my Ministry, launched and extended various financial assistance initiatives for business, families, and individuals.

“Further to this, 70,000 tons of grains from the National Strategic Grains Reserve and non-food items were distributed through state governments to vulnerable individuals and households across the country.

“It is gratifying to note that the government of Switzerland graciously responded to support by providing immediate socio-economic relief to vulnerable migrants impacted by COVID-19 in Northern Nigeria,” she said.

Speaking, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Mr Georg Steiner said the COVID-19 pandemic had proven to be the biggest crisis of the present generation and “made us realise that we are all in this together.

“This is why, international solidarity and cooperation are key to tackling the challenges we are facing today.

“The health and economic consequences of the pandemic added to the difficult situation people face in areas affected by insecurity, political instability, and economic hardship.

“These factors impact the management of migration movements and put further strain on government capabilities to provide for the vulnerable.

“Therefore, Switzerland has committed some of its funding to support Nigerian government agencies in the fight against the pandemic and its consequences,” Steiner added.

He said Nigeria and Switzerland marked the tenth anniversary of the migration partnership earlier this year.

“In the past ten years, we have successfully implemented more than 50 projects in various areas.

“This particular project inaugurated today is another proof of the well-meaning migration partnership and the importance Switzerland attaches to Nigeria,” Steiner stressed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Steiner was represented by Ojoma Ali, Programme Officer in charge of Migration at the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria.

Similarly, Mr Frantz Celestine, IOM’s Chief of Mission said the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus did not only create a global health crisis but disrupted economic activities and everyday life as well.

According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting mostly those already in vulnerable situations, including migrants.

According to Celestial, the project is to complement existing programmes, including the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration as well as the DFID-funded reintegration programme.

“This project seeks to address the psychosocial and socioeconomic needs
of vulnerable returned migrants and potential migrants in the Northern states of Nigeria by providing immediate relief.

“The project has been designed to align with the Nigerian government’s priorities and will ensure that the needs of women, men, boys, and girls are considered throughout the project.

“The project contributes to the 3rd objective of the IOM’s COVID-19 Strategic Response and Recovery Plan (SRRP), which aims at mitigating the longer-term socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, contribute to restarting human mobility, and empower societies for self-reliance.

“I would like to reiterate IOM’s commitment to continually engaging the Government of Nigeria to provide adequate support to migration issues in the country,” Celestin said.