German Government Gives Nigeria €47.6m to Resettle Boko Haram Victims

The German government has dolled out €47.6m as financial support to Nigeria to resettle victims of Boko Haram attacks.

Leader of a German delegation, Mrs. Renate von Boddien, made this revelation during a meeting of the Nigeria-Germany Consultations on Development Cooperation, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in Abuja on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, Boddien was quoted as saying that the commitment was part of bilateral technical cooperation and special project initiative aimed at tackling the root causes of displacement of refugees and speed up their integration under the ‘One World No Hunger Green Innovation’.

She said the action will also strengthen Germany’s support for the Green Innovation Centre for Agriculture and Food Sector.

She explained that €22.6m was earmarked for bilateral technical cooperation and special funding lines; €19.9m for special initiatives to tackle the root causes of displacement/reintegrating of refugees; and €6m for special initiatives for the ‘One World No Hunger’ project initiated to strengthen its support for the Green Innovation Centre.

She was quoted to have said that the “technical cooperation is being implemented through the pro-poor growth and employment promotion programme in Nigeria, which was inaugurated by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and is co-financed by the European Union.

“The objective is to increase employment and income generation for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the three states of Niger, Ogun and Plateau.”

She further stated that other areas Germany was planning to also commit funds included humanitarian support in the North-East, the fight against polio disease and to support technical and vocational education.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, lauded the German government for its support and told the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Schlag Heck, that the Federal Government was working hard to diversify the Nigerian economy.

This, he said, would stimulate growth through agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing and development of processing zones.

Few days ago, the Senate claimed that contractors involved in providing various services to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in connivance with some officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, had diverted over N1billion.