By Achile Danjuma
The Benue State government has commenced the gradual relocation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to renovated housing units located close to their ancestral homes, in a bid to restore normalcy and dignity to affected families.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Deborah Aber, disclosed this during a media briefing in Makurdi, where she provided details on how the state utilised the over ₦1.275 billion donated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the First Lady, and other donors to alleviate the hardship of displaced persons.
Aber revealed that 5,833 IDPs have been enrolled in the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme at a premium of ₦10,000 per beneficiary.
She explained that Governor Hyacinth Alia, following the visit of President Tinubu and his wife in the aftermath of the June 2025 Yelwata attack and killings, constituted a Technical Committee for the Judicious Implementation of Donated Funds for Internally Displaced Persons in Benue State.
According to her, the committee was mandated to assess the needs of IDPs in camps and host communities to ensure transparent and need-based disbursement of the funds.
“We quickly swung into action by engaging representatives of IDPs both in camps and in communities, as well as members of host communities whose resources have been overstretched by the influx of displaced persons. They identified their urgent needs as food, shelter, education, health, agriculture, livelihood support and security, among others,” she said.
Aber noted that the committee subsequently mapped out intervention areas including Food and Nutrition, Cash Transfers, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Health, Education, Shelter and Security, supported by comprehensive beneficiary data mapping.
Distribution of food items was carried out through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), followed by a cash transfer programme, which she said is about 90 per cent completed. The remaining 10 per cent, she explained, involves beneficiaries facing challenges with their National Identification Number (NIN).
Under the cash transfer initiative, over 1,000 beneficiaries received ₦50,000 each to support petty trading and other small-scale livelihood activities. Aber stated that 50 per cent of the beneficiaries are from Yelwata, as the June 2025 attack in the area prompted the bulk of the donations.
She further disclosed that 60 two-bedroom housing units are being constructed for Yelwata IDPs, with 38 already at the roofing stage. In addition, both IDPs and host communities are being trained in modern farming techniques, with seedlings, pesticides and herbicides distributed to boost agricultural productivity.
On peace-building efforts, the SSG said a Peace and Reconciliation Committee has been actively engaging affected communities, offering psychosocial support and promoting dialogue to foster peaceful coexistence.
Under the WASH component, three boreholes have been drilled in Naka, Gwer-West Local Government Area, with water reticulated over a two-kilometre stretch to serve both camps and host communities.
Aber commended the state government for providing the committee with an enabling environment to operate, noting that implementation of the intervention programmes is about 85 per cent complete.
She provided a breakdown of funds allocated to various components as follows: Cash Transfer – ₦56,325,000; Food and Nutrition – ₦224,500,000; Shelter – ₦28,900,000; WASH – ₦125,325,000; Security – ₦56,125,000; Agriculture – ₦56,125,000; Health – ₦112,250,000; Peace and Reconciliation – ₦16,000,000; Sustainability Fund – ₦24,800,000; Livelihood- ₦21,625,000; Host Communities – ₦127,500,000; Education – ₦148,175,000; while Resettlement received the highest allocation of ₦277,350,000.
The relocation and empowerment initiatives, she added, are part of the state’s broader strategy to ensure durable solutions and long-term recovery for displaced communities.