Germany Reaffirms Commitment To Sustainable Peace In North East Nigeria

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, March 10th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The German Government has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining peace and rebuilding the communities devastated by the protracted insurgency in the North East region of Nigeria.
German Ambassador to Nigeria, Birgitt Ory gave the assurance during a two-day visit to Borno State. The envoy was accompanied by the UN Resident Coordinator Matthias Schmale and UNDP Resident Representative Mohammed Yahya. Ory also met with local government leaders, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations.
She visited Ngarannam town in Mafa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state which destroyed by insurgents and uninhabited since 2015, the community has however, been rebuilt through a stabilization programme co-funded by the German government.
The reconstruction work, according to a statement made available to the media by German Embassy in Abuja on Thursday, took into account the building style of the Kanuri culture and special climate and topographic circumstances.
“Our stabilization programme in Nigeria since 2019 has shown that with strong government ownership and a committed partner like UNDP-Nigeria, it is possible to create perspectives and hope for the Nigerian people in the Northeast.
“The programme already transformed the lives of thousands of Nigerians in Banki. Now, around 3.000 displaced people will return to Ngarannam to rebuild their livelihoods. Our commitment to rebuilding communities and contributing to sustainable peace remains stronger than ever”, she said.
he statement further explained that the German government has supported reconstruction in Ngarannam through the “Regional Stabilization Facility”, adding that the programme is supported by Germany, being the largest contributor, since 2019, together with other European partners, as well as Nigerian government institutions on all levels.
“It aims to restore essential infrastructure and provide livelihood opportunities in communities previously affected by violent conflict in the Lake Chad region. To that effect, the programme works closely with communities and government partners. In Nigeria, since 2019 the program supports nine government-selected communities across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States and is implemented by UNDP”, the statement stressed.
Recently, Germany has made available an additional €15 million to UNDP to assist in the reintegration of former Boko Haram associates who surrendered. Together with Germany’s contribution to the Regional Stabilisation Facility across the Lake Chad Region, Germany’s overall contribution now amounts to $75 million since 2019.