The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, offered reassurance to the United Nations representative regarding the Federal Government’s efforts to establish sustainable resettlement solutions for returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), aiming to provide them with improved living conditions.
This commitment was made during a courtesy visit on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, in Abuja when the Representative of the United Nations Mines Action Services (UNMAS) met with Minister Matawalle.
Matawalle highlighted the Federal Government’s willingness to collaborate with UNMAS in developing practical strategies for the reintegration of IDPs and farmers into society, ultimately aiming for a better quality of life.
“We need to redesign action plan for the IDP returnees and farmers to go back to their farms,” he said.
According to him, there was a need for the Federal Government to provide essential technical support for the establishment of a national mine action centre in the North East and extend it to the North West, where incidence of insurgency has increased.
“Such center will afford the IDPs the opportunity to return to their communities and have access to quality education,” he noted.
The Representative of the United Nations Mines Action Services to Nigeria, Edwin Faigmane, said UNMAS will collaborate with the Nigerian Army to ensure the success of Mines Action Services Operations in Nigeria.
Furthermore, he stated that there was need to conduct Technical Surveys to identify hazardous areas that need to be safe before any other activities could take place.
