Northwest Nigeria Establishes Regional Body to Coordinate Response to Internal Displacement
The Northwest Governors’ Forum (NWGF) has launched a dedicated Social Development Unit to coordinate policies on internal displacement across Nigeria’s troubled Northwest region. The announcement was made by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State, who also chairs the NWGF, during the official rollout of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Policy and State Action Plan for Durable Solutions in Katsina and Zamfara States.
The new unit, based at the NWGF Secretariat, will align policies among member states, monitor implementation, foster partnerships, and promote knowledge-sharing. Governor Radda emphasized that the initiative moves beyond emergency relief to address displacement as a long-term development challenge requiring coordinated, structural solutions.
The policy documents released for Katsina and Zamfara provide a framework for coordinated action, defining institutional roles and interventions in protection, livelihoods, infrastructure, and social services. Radda confirmed the model will be replicated across all Northwest states to ensure a harmonized regional approach.
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal reported that over 216,000 people—predominantly women and children—are displaced in his state. He linked the crisis to years of insecurity that have devastated communities and agriculture. His administration is tackling root causes through a State Security Trust Fund, volunteer guards, and reforms aimed at accountability. Efforts also focus on gender-based violence prevention and expanding social protection and livelihood programs.
The United Nations highlighted the national scale of the crisis, with Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Malick Fall stating that more than 3.7 million Nigerians are displaced. He praised the regional initiative, noting it follows similar durable solutions frameworks in the Northeast and Benue State. The UN reported that in 2025, nearly 150,000 displaced persons received livelihood support, around 200,000 accessed education and skills training, and over 38,000 obtained critical documentation.
UNDP Resident Representative Elsie Attafuah stressed the shift from short-term humanitarian aid to state-led recovery and reintegration, citing lessons from the BAY states (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe) and Benue.
The event in Abuja was attended by federal ministers, including Humanitarian Affairs Minister Bernard Doroh and education minister Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, along with senior officials from Katsina and Zamfara states.
The creation of the NWGF Social Development Unit marks a significant step toward a unified regional strategy, aiming to translate policy into tangible, lasting solutions for hundreds of thousands of displaced Nigerians.
