BY TIMOTHY AGBOR
President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged Nigeria’s continued support to international organisations working in the North East region of the country, who are providing humanitarian assistance to citizens impacted by long years of insurgency.
The President met with the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, Antonio Vitorino, on Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the margins of the 36th AU Summit.
Assuring IOM that the Federal Government will continue to partner with them to make their work more effective and efficient, the President lauded the organisation’s humanitarian activities in the North East and North West regions of the country.
He noted that their staff have often braced the difficult terrain to provide assistance to those in need. He urged the international community not to neglect those living on the fringes of Lake Chad, who have lost their means of livelihood because of the impact of climate change and the monumental shrinking of Lake Chad from its original state.
Giving a brief on its projects in the country, the IOM DG told the President that his organization was partnering with the Borno State Government on strengthening its humanitarian response capacity, including the reintegration, rehabilitation and resettlement programme of IDPs.
He thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria for the unflinching support to IOM operations in the country. President Buhari also met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, during which they exchanged views on how to counter the propaganda and threats of terrorists’ organizations such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabab.
President Mohamud underscored Nigeria’s support to Somalia, dating back to the deployment of Nigerian peacekeepers to ensure stability in the restive country.
He said Somalians will not forget the sacrifices of the Nigerian peacekeepers who died in the line of duty and those who were injured while risking their lives to bring peace to his country. Earlier on Sunday, President Buhari, at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, participated at a Highlevel event on ‘‘Reinvigorating Pan-Africanism for a Changing World,’’ held at the African Leadership Excellence Academy (AFLEX), in the outskirts of Addis Ababa.
