• Unveil policy, action plan for implementation 

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Government in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has unveiled a policy and state action plan on Durable Solutions to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

The policy and action plan, which were unveiled Tuesday at a town hall meeting, targeted the return of 270,000 IDPs across the 34 local government areas of the state to their ancestral homes.

While the 45-page Katsina State IDP Policy centres on the protection, assistance and reintegration of IDPs in accordance with the national standard, the State Action Plan is expected to provide basic amenities to the displaced persons.

Presenting an overview of the State Action Plan, the Academic Lisson, Solid Project, Dr. Abubakar Imam, said Katsina has 270,000 displaced persons as a result of banditry and farmers/herders conflicts.

He said 36,288 households have been affected by the nefarious activities of the bandits, farmers-herders clashes, flood, desertification and communal conflicts across the 34 local government areas of the state.

Describing Batsari, Faskari, Kankara, Sabuwa and Danmusa as the hotspot local government areas in the state, Imam said most of the IDPs in the state were living without access to education, health, food security and proper shelters.

“The vision of the State Action Plan is to ensure a peaceful, resilient and inclusive Katsina State where all displaced persons can return, integrate or relocate safely with access to livelihoods, services and protection,” he said.

He explained that 2,389 housing units with gender-sensitive designs, 10 primary healthcare centres with solar-powered Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and 63 basic schools with inclusive facilities would be provided to the IDPs.

He reiterated that vocational training, farming inputs and grants would be provided to over 30,000 restored homes, adding that 60 per cent of the displaced children in the state would be enrolled in basic schools.

In his remarks, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda affirmed the state government’s commitment to ensuring that the policy and the action plan are validated and fully operational in the state.

Radda, represented by his Deputy, Hon. Faruk Lawal, explained that his administration would monitor the policy and provide adequate funds for the operationalisation and sustainability of the policy.

He said: “This policy is a direct response to the displacement crisis that has affected many communities across the state. Armed conflict, banditry, poverty and climate change have all contributed, displacing families from their homes, distracting livelihoods on the communities.

“We are committed to ensure that this policy is not just validated but fully operationalised, monitored and sustainably funded. Let’s work together to ensure that displacement doesn’t mean despair but becomes an opportunity for healing, rebuilding and restoring hope.”

On her part, the state focal person for the project, Maryam Musa, said the policy is the comprehensive framework developed to guide the state and stakeholders in responding effectively to challenges affecting the IDPs.

She said it aligned with both the national and international standards to ensure dignity, protection and sustainable reintegration of IDPs into the society.

She said that the primary aspects of the national policy are prevention of displacement, protection/assistance, durable solutions, accountability, coordination and inclusion, among others.

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