The Federal Government has distributed empowerment kits to 100 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) selected from camps within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, while distributing the starter packs in Abuja at the weekend, said the beneficiaries have undergone training programmes in different trades.
She said the exercise was in line with the government’s plan to close the IDPs camps across the country in order to allow displaced persons to return to their homes.
There are about 3.4 million IDPs in the country as of August 2022 but after the devastating flood across the country, the number rose to over 5 million.
While noting that it was difficult to train such a huge number of persons of concern, she said the project is being piloted in the FCT with other states to follow.
“What we are giving is sustainable and durable solutions. We don’t want dependency on the government.
“Every country wants contributing members of the society. We are committed to ensuring that these people build their resilience, they can contribute, they can earn, help the economy of this country.
“That is why we trained them and empower them to return home and be able to fend for themselves and their family members. They are no longer IDPs, they are now entrepreneurs.
“They were given different packs depending on what trade they learnt. Those trained in fashion designing got sewing machines and other related equipment, those who received training in photography got cameras and so are others,” said Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
When asked how the beneficiaries were selected, she said the training programmes were tailored towards the skills and talents of individuals who indicated interest.
She added that monitoring indicators have been put in place to ensure that beneficiaries do not derail from the objectives of the programme.
