Gambari opens 804 houses built by UNDP, Borno State, resettles displaced Boko Haram victims

… house-owners gifted 2,674 cattle, 100k each, food, clothes

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, on Saturday in Mafa, Borno State, commissioned 804 houses for the resettlement of displaced members of the Ngarannam community and neighboring villages.

Although the project is for 804 houses, a total of 564 were completed.

The 804 houses were built by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Borno State government.

Borno State government is building 304 houses from which 204 were completed with 100 ongoing, while the UNDP has 500 units of houses funded through a Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) from which 360 were completed while 140 were ongoing.

The UNDP’s housing estate, designed with a health centre, police post, school and market, was for the resettlement of Ngarannam community, while Borno’s houses are for resettlement of a number of villages neighboring Ngarannam.

From both projects, 564 houses were completed out of the combined 804 targeted

The UNDP had, in July 2019, developed a Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) with support from Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands and the European Union (EU).

The RSF was created to facilitate the implementation of a Regional Strategy for the Stabilization, Recovery & Resilience of areas affected by Boko Haram attacks around the Lake Chad Basin made up of communities in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad.

The RSF contributes towards the restoration of security and relief to communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

Ngarannam community was attacked and destroyed by Boko Haram some years back, forcing community members to become displaced.

With the reconstruction of the community, a ceremony was hosted by Governor Zulum at the site of the UNDP’s houses in Mafa.

Gambari was the special guest of honour while Minister of State for Budget and National Development, Prince Clem Agba, was the guest of honour. Agba co-chairs Nigeria’s window of the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF).

At the earliest stage of the ceremony, address of welcome was delivered by Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Mustapha Gubio who was represented by AbdulRahman AbdulKarim, Special Adviser to Governor Zulum on reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement.

Guest of honour, Prince Clem Agba, later in his remarks, praised all stakeholders who contributed towards the reconstruction of the Ngarannam community.

He highlighted Governor Zulum’s extreme commitment and reaffirmed the FG’s commitment to stabilizing the northeast through multiple opportunities.

Governor Zulum said Borno was highly indebted to the UN and other humanitarian and development partners for their enormous support.

The governor praised UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who had visited Borno in May, 2022, as part of his relentless support for Borno’s stabilization.

Prof Gambari, conveyed the president’s gratitude to all humanitarian and development partners.

He said the Buhari administration would continue to provide the needed support to the government of Borno, rest of the northeast to fully stabilize the northeast.

Gambari, accompanied by Zulum, Agba and foreign development partners, commissioned all the houses at both sites of the project.

Keys to the houses were symbolically given to some families amongst the beneficiaries..