Abuja: A coalition of civil society organisations has called for the creation of a Humanitarian Relief, Recovery and Reintegration Fund (HRRRF) to address Nigeria’s growing humanitarian challenges. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Chairman of the Civil Society Budget Implementation, Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (CBIAMEC), Splendour Agbonkpolor, said the proposed Fund would support the work of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
According to Voice of Nigeria, Agbonkpolor noted that the scale of the humanitarian crisis far outweighs the resources currently available to the two agencies, which are mandated to coordinate protection, emergency response, care, and reintegration for vulnerable groups. He highlighted that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees, asylum seekers, and refugees face urgent humanitarian needs.
Agbonkpolor stressed the importance of providing immediate assistance such as food, shelter, clothing, and medical care, alongside long-term support including access to education, psychosocial services, and economic empowerment. ‘We therefore strongly call for the creation of a Humanitarian Relief, Recovery, and Reintegration Fund, (HRRRF) a dedicated national pool of resources that will enable timely response, ensure proper coordination and sustain long-term rehabilitation and reintegration efforts for displaced persons across Nigeria,’ Agbonkpolor said.
Agbonkpolor further explained that the Fund would be necessary for a swift and effective response, comprehensive humanitarian support, partnership and coordination, as well as resilience and preparedness. The coalition urged the National Assembly to begin legislative processes immediately to establish the Fund.
‘This should not be a temporary or ad-hoc initiative but a permanent national mechanism, enshrined in law and backed by clear provisions for transparency, accountability, independent audits and periodic public reporting. We also emphasise that the responsibility for funding must not rest on the Federal Government alone. State governments, as the first line of response and the direct custodians of their citizens, must also contribute systematically to this Fund. By doing so, each state will have both ownership and responsibility in addressing the crises within its jurisdiction while benefitting from national coordination through the Commission and the Agency,’ he said.
Agbonkpolor commended NCFRMI and NEMA for their efforts despite extremely limited resources. ‘These efforts, though constrained, have offered hope to millions. It is clear to us that if they can achieve so much with so little, then with increased and sustainable funding, they will do far more reaching more people, restoring more dignity, and rebuilding more communities. This is not just a budgetary issue; it is a moral obligation. To fail to act is to abandon millions of vulnerable Nigerians and refugees who look to us for survival and for a future,’ Agbonkpolor said.