Private Sector Mobilises for Resources for humanitarian Interventions in North-East
The Nigerian Private Sector Initiative (NPSI) has mobilised funds to support the ongoing interventions in humanitarian crisis caused by Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.
The UN and founding private sector members of the initiative have called for more businesses to come together and collaborate under the platform of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund-Private Sector Initiative to tackle the crisis.
FirstBank Chairman Ibukun Awosika, made the appeal during a visit to some selected Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri, Borno.
Awosika who Led some partners and leading Nigerian companies from the banking, energy and legal sectors, said it was the first-ever joint humanitarian fund in which the private sector was partnering with the UN and Nigerian business leaders to raise fund for rebuilding the northeast.
“This is the second team of the private sectors groups who came to Borno state and what we are diong is engaging with the realities on ground to enabled us understand the scale of what we have on ground in order to solved the proble,” she said.
She said that the joint initiative seeked to harness the financial resources and expertise of Nigeria’s private sector to contribute to a more effective and timely humanitarian response in Northeast.
“The situation is quite overwhelming, hearthtrenching. I look at the children and i see the problems of the future if they dont get what they really need interms of education, healthcare support and stable family life.
“Its a national problem, even though what we see is more of international support but traditionally as a people we are known for looking out to support for our own people.
“Apart from what the rest of the worlds are diong to help us, we should help outselves in any layers; through political, government and through citizens decisions. It is about mobilising the whole of Nigerians to support this course.
“It dosnt matter what part of the country we are from. This is our country, so we must bring our selves together to help our brothers and sisters and our children for the sake of our nation.
“It wasnt about what the private sectors and First Bank can do as institutions because at the end of the day, how many are we in this institutions.For me it is about what the whole Nigerians can do to support one another.
“It is about us mobilising every single kobo ffom the N100, N500, N1000,N50,000, N100 million and the God knows how the funds from institutions like first bank and other sector,”she said.
She urged the 200 million Nigerians in the country to support the IDPs who were in dire need of help.
She added “We have seen alot of young people but they are not useful to us untill we educate them and enhanced thier livelihood before they can become human capital.
Mr Biyi Ologbami, Managine Director, Ecobank, said that the visit was part of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund-Private Sector Initiative (NHF-PSI), founded in 2018; to fast track collaboration between the UN, humanitarian organisations and indigenous firms in raising funds.
Ologbami said that the platform is a first in the world for humanitarian action, and it is a major innovation that would serve as a blueprint for other country-based funds.
He said that the initiative would go along way toward addressing the water sanitation, health, shelter education needs of the displaced population as well as ressettled them back to thier home of abode.
Edward Kallon, The UN Humaniterian Coordinator in Nigeria, said the partnership would go along way to enhanced effective response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people in the northeast.
He said that the aim of its partnership was to benefit from the techinical knowledge in enhancing the work of the UN on how mobilised resources from business community to contribute to the crises.
According to statistics by UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) has so far raised $83 million in contributions and pledges to date.
The Dellegation also paid a curtessy call on the Borno Deputy Gov. Umar Kadafur where they briefed him on thier mission to Borno state.
In his remarks, Kadafur, lauded the Private Sector initiative adding that it would go along way in allieviating the surffering of the displaced persons in the state.
He said the government would continue to provide all the neccessary support and enabling environment for the United Nationa and other International donor partners to implement thier programs.
By PRNigeria
