NEDC COMPLETES GRADUATION OF ICT TRAINEES IN NORTH EAST. . .
No doubt, we are in the era of global information technology which is the driving force and backbone of modern economy.
Realising the importance and numerous advantages drivable from ICT and in line with the objectives of the National Agency for Information and Communication Technology to fast-track development and resuscitation of the economy, the North East Development Commission, NEDC initiated the establishment of ICT Resource Centres for the training and empowerment of youths in the six States of the Region. This is a deliberate attempt to bring out the North East Zone from its lowest rank in ICT among other Zones of the Country.
So far, the NEDC has successfully graduated 1,200 trainees of its ICT Programme across the six North Eastern States.
The graduation ceremony which first took place in Bauchi, was also conducted in Gombe, Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa States.
The ICT Programme which is the initiative of MD/CEO of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, is designed to compliment the effort of the FG in youth empowerment and job creation.
To achieve this, six ICT Resource Centres were established in the six States of the North East to train the participants on Computer Graphics and Handset repairs.
Bauchi State was the first beneficiary to have the NEDC fully equipped ICT Resource Centre which trained and empowered a total of 176-youths in ICT skills such as Computer Graphics and Handset repairs. In all, 1,200 candidates are being trained across the six ICT Centres. This is in addition to another set of 1,200 participants already selected to benefit in the second phase of the Programme scheduled to hold soon.
At the graduation ceremony in Bauchi, Managing Director of NEDC, Alkali explained that apart from the training, the Participants were also provided with free Starter packs and financial support as impetus start up capital.
He pointed out that the ICT Resource Centre, is being established in each of the Six North Eastern States with Gombe as the second to graduate its participants.
“We were positively surprised by the demand for the NEDC ICT Training Programme when it was advertised because about 61,026 candidates applied. However, due to the present carrying capacity of the 6 Centres, we admitted only 1,200 in the First Batch and I am happy that these 176 trainees from Bauchi is the second highest number of trainees that successfully completed the training from the 6 centres in the North East”.
Furthermore, he announced that, NEDC intends to replicate the ICT Resource Centre in all the eighteen Senatorial Zones in the region due to their importance to economic empowerment of the people.
“we hope that the Entrepreneurship and ICT training these youths have acquired will not only empower them as individuals but also make them employers of labour soon and because of the premium we place on their empowerment and self-reliance, the Commission will monitor their progress in the coming few months to reward those that may fare well on their jobs”.
While urging them to be good representatives as alumni of the NEDC ICT Resource Centre, the MD/CEO congratulated the young Computer Graphic Designers and Cell Phones Repairers and appealed to the state government to encourage and further support the young entrepreneurs by allocating strategic business premises for the next two years.
This according to the NEDC MD/CEO will enable the grandaunts commence their own businesses thereby reducing the level of dependence and burden on the Government by means of sustenance through acquired skills which has now made them economically independent.
That is not all, the intervention and empowerment Programme of NEDC, will also see the establishment of Youth Development Centres as well as Rehabilitation Centres across the region to address the menace of trauma and other psychosocial issues facing citizens of the region.
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed acknowledged and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari saying he has written his name in gold for establishing the North East Development, Commission, NEDC.
“this is an important occasion where we have seen the display of intervention, collaboration and synergy between the Federal government and state Governments through the projects and Programs being executed by the NEDC in the Northeast region”.
Governor Bala Mohammed commended the NEDC MD/CEO for rolling out projects and programs that are beneficial to the people in the zone and declared the rest of the State Governors’ commitment to the course of the Commission saying they are all proud of Mohammed G. Alkali.
“We the Governors of the Six states in the Northeast are extending our prayers for the NEDC not to go the way NDDC went however, from the Commission’s take-off I can say tomorrow is very bright because there will be light at the end of the tunnel with the NEDC”.
He noted that, the NEDC carry out its dealings with a lot of transparency, science, and technology as well as knowledge driven initiatives that have a very serious impact on the lives of the people in the northeast.
“ICT is the new engine in governance as President Buhari considers information and technology key in terms of providing the required national digital economy that is why we have created the new Ministry of Information and Technology just to make sure there is synergy with the NEDC ICT Resource Centre in Bauchi”.
The Governor while thanking the Commission for building capacity and providing starter packs as well as the sum of twenty thousand naira to the trained youths in the state announced the donation of fifty thousand naira each to the trainees as a morale booster.
“The NEDC in other projects have supported Bauchi state with a Robust Agricultural Policy where it developed some value chains among crops and rice which I hope the improved seedlings will go a long way in improving yields from our farmers”.
Chairman Senate Committee on Special Duties, Yusuf A. Yusuf who chaired the occasion described what the NEDC is doing as an epitome of collaborative and cooperative federalism between the Federal Government and state Government towards the development of the Northeast and country at large.
He explained that the NEDC works hand in hand with the various governments in the northeast states and the National Assembly through constitution of appropriation, oversight functions of the activities it undertakes.
“the aspect of science and technology where people are trained in Graphic Designs and cell Phone Repairs is an excellent initiative by the NEDC and emphasis of one of the President’s take on education in Nigeria”.
The NEDC he said has done well in establishing the ICT Resource Centres in all the six states in the Northeast and assured the Commission of synergy with the National Assembly and the northeast State Governments.
He commended the NEDC MD/CEO for the cordial working relationship existing between his team and the Commission’s Governing Board Members as well as the National Assembly.
The National Assembly he stated, will make sure the commission’s core mandate is fully established in line with the aspirations of the people in the zone.
The Bauchi State Governor and the MD/CEO’s delegation then proceeded to the NEDC ICT Resource Centre for the inauguration where they interacted with the trainees and took a brief tour of the Training Rooms and facilities.
In an effort towards curbing the spread of the Corona Virus Pan
demic, NEDC has further supported Bauchi state Government through the donation of Covid19 protective materials.
The protective materials presented is to boost personal protection against Covid19 especially among children in both private and public schools, security agencies and National Union of Road Transport Workers whose members commute thousands of passengers daily in the state.
The items include:
10,000 pieces of branded face masks for public school, 5,000 pieces of branded face masks for private primary schools, 4,000 branded face masks for Military and other security agencies, 2,000 bottles of hand sanitizers, 100 pieces of infrared thermometers for primary schools and 5,000 branded pieces of face masks for Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW.
“it could be recalled that at the advent of the Covid19 Pandemic, NEDC sensitized the public on the dangers of the highly contagious disease and provided food items to cushion the effect of the lockdown period. We also provided diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic facilities, consumables and other supplies across the Northeast zone”.
The Commission MD Alkali stated, has also donated PPEs, Hospital Beds, Ventilators, Ambulances and Covid-19 Laboratory facilities among others to all the six state governments as well as all Federal Tertiary health Institutions in the zone.
The Commission also handed over educational materials to the Bauchi state government to include ten thousand blankets to public boarding schools, sixty thousand Exercise books to public schools and twenty thousand Exercise books to private schools.
Still in Bauchi, the Commission launched its Integrated Agricultural Scheme where rice seedlings, fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides other farming inputs were distributed.
NEDC MD/CEO said the distribution is an indication of the Commission’s readiness to begin highly impactful interventions in the Agriculture Sector that will soon be rolled out.
“Due to importance of Agriculture as the mainstay of the economy in the Northeast, the Commission is rolling out its Integrated agricultural Scheme involving the provision of agricultural machinery and equipment, seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals and other logistics in order to enhance production capacity of small holder farmers in the region and enable them improve their livelihoods”.
The items presented to the state government were 1,500 bags of Improved Rice Seedlings, 315 Bottles of Herbicides, 4,500 Bags of Fertilizers, 150 Bottles Fungicides, and 1,500 Bottles of Mancozeb.
Bauchi State Governor lauded the Commission’s intervention in the Agricultural sector and appealed to the commission to train Agricultural Extension Workers in Bauchi state to enhance productivity through science driven innovations.
The Commission has also reached out to victims of flood disaster in Glade Local Government area of the state who were affected during last year rainy season.
Some building materials to include roofing sheets, wood, and nails as well as assorted food items were presented to the state government for onward distributions to the victims of the flood disaster to cushion their hardships.
The NEDC is currently executing its Rapid Response Intervention RRI projects in Education, Agriculture and WASH Sectors where construction of a block of 6 classrooms, VIP Toilets and Solar Powered Boreholes as well as furnishing of the classroom blocks are ongoing across all the 20 local Government Areas of Bauchi state, the MD NEDC said.
“while the RRI projects are going on, the Commission plans to provide other interventions simultaneously and this include construction of 500 houses in Bauchi state, Mega Schools across the three Senatorial Districts and construction of the road linking Alkaleri-Kirfi-Gombe Abba in Bauchi and Gombe states. I am happy to say that Bauchi state Governor has graciously approved to allocate lands for the Housing scheme as well as for the Mega School”.
The NEDC interventions affirmed by Mohammed Goni Alkali are geared towards improving the socio-economic wellbeing of the North East zone wherein an all-inclusive recovery, stabilization and long-term development scenario will be attained in a peaceful and serene environment.
In the meantime, Gombe State took its turn to graduate another batch of participants of NEDC ICT Programme totaling 198 which is the highest so far.
The ICT Programme which is the brainchild of the MD/CEO of NEDC, Mohamed Alkali, is an intervention programme designed to train and empower youths of the region on ICT application and skills such as Computer Graphics and Handset repairs. Bauchi State was the first to graduate its participants numbering 176.
At the graduation ceremony in Gombe State, the MD/CEO Mohammed G. Alkali stressed that the Commission recognizes technology as critical to developing an inclusive, knowledge driven and prosperous economy.
“we are in an ICT era that all sectors of human endeavor heavily depend on to make any tangible impact and due to the importance of ICT and empowerment for youths and its wide acceptance and demand by the youths, the Commission has concluded plans to replicate additional ICT Resource Centers in all the 18 Senatorial Districts in the Northeast region”.
He noted that the NEDC ICT Program will help to create employment opportunity and also improve access to IT resources within the Northeast zone as well as empower the population with the necessary vocational education, skills and tools that can make the trained youths economically empowered.
The 198 trained persons in Computer Graphics and Cell Phone repairs have in addition to the certificates presented them, also went home with free starter packs and a token of N20,000 each.
Gombe state has the highest number of graduating candidates who successfully completed the training in the first phase of the NEDC ICT across the 6 Centers in the Northeast, the MD expressed hope that Gombe state will maintain this as the torchbearer in ICT skills.
“I am optimistic that you are now fully equipped with ICT skills of Computer Graphics and Cell Phone Repairs and to mark the successful completion of your training the cash support you have received will enable you hit the ground running, a symbolic impetus startup capital”.
The MD/CEO of the NEDC then made a passionate appeal to Governor Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state to inspire and further support the new ICT entrepreneurs in the state by allocating strategic business premises to them for the next two years to enable them start their vocation effortlessly.
The overall objective of the NEDC ICT programme is to improve access to IT resources within the North East Zone and empower the population with the necessary vocational education, skills and tools that can make them self-reliant.
Chairman Senate Committee on Special Duties Yusuf A. Yusuf while commending the NEDC for the intervention, implored the beneficiaries to put into use what they have gained from the training.
He also cautioned the trainees not to sell what has been provided to them as this act will jeopardize the reason behind the NEDC initiative of establishing the ICT Resource Centre.
Governor Gombe State, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya expressed gratitude for the gesture and declared his desire for the timeline for the mandate of the Commission be extended beyond ten (10) years as stated in the law establishing the NEDC.
“I would like to urge that the National Assembly consider making the NEDC and all other Intervention Agencies who are created out of necessity to be on a permanent basis. If there are problems there should be a special agency that will intervene to solve those problems and to that extent, I believe it is not for only me but the whole people of Gombe state are behind the idea of making the NEDC Permanent so that the Commission to be getting its dues as well as doing its best to solving our problems in the Northeast”.
He acknowledged the various interventions Gombe state has benefitted from the Commission’s Rapid Response Intervention RRI projects in the areas of Education, Health and Agricultural Scheme which has rekindle hope in the lives of the people in the state.
“the North East Development Commission, an intervention agency indeed is doing wonderfully well for us in Gombe state where the Commission has done a lot of things from construction of Farm centers that is ongoing to skills acquisition centers and this training among several other projects and promises made to the state”.
“Gombe state has huge population of about 3.5 million and close to 60% are youths and the majority unemployed so the window of opportunity created by the NEDC is great”.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya described the ICT skills acquired by the youths in Gombe courtesy of the NEDC as a good innovation and the State Government will be there to widen the scope of the programme to obtain an improved society economically.
“I hope by the time Science, Technology and Development agency takes off the digitalization of governance in Gombe, everyone will come to appreciate the efforts by the government to digital economy”.
“we shall continue to give encouragement to the NEDC ICT Resource Center as Gombe state is ready to contribute with whatever resources at its disposal to complement efforts of the Commission”.
He said Gombe State is partnering the NEDC ICT Resource Centre in view of the huge potentials it holds in job creation and disclosed approval for the allocation of plots of land to the NEDC for the construction of an office in Gombe state.
In the bid to complement and support Gombe state government in taking relevant proactive measures to contain the spread of Corona Virus Pandemic, the Commission donated preventive materials to Governor Mohammed Yahaya.
This according to MD Mohammed Alkali is in connection with the President Buhari recent Executive Order of Covid-19 and the need for all to observe it.
“we are hereby donating some items to boost personal protection against Covid-19 especially among children in both public and private schools, security agencies and the National Union of Road Transport workers whose members commute thousands of passengers daily in the state”.
Apart from the Covid-19 items, the Commission has extended the gesture to the Education Sector where 10,000 Blankets were donated to Public Boarding Schools, 60,000 Exercise Books to Private Schools.
The Agricultural sector is not also left out in the NEDC distribution in Gombe state Government where some Agricultural machineries and Equipment to include 1,500 Bags of Improved Rice Seeds, 4,500 bags of Fertilizers, 465 Cartons of Herbicides and 1,500 Bottles of Fungicides and other logistics were presented to enhance the production capacity of small holder farmers in the Northeast region for the next farming season.
“this is part of the Commission’s impactful interventions in the Agricultural Sector to be rolled out soon”.
Gombe state is presently benefiting from the NEDC Rapid Response Intervention RRI projects in Education, Health, Agriculture and WASH Sectors.
Consequently, construction and renovation of Farm Centres in Kalshingi, Gelengu, Dukku, Dukul and Landongor in Akko, Balanga, Kwami and Billiri Local Government Areas respectively are ongoing.
Other ongoing projects include Renovation of Primary Health Centers at 3 Communities in Funakaye and equipping of PHCs at 4 Communities in Nafada as well as upgrade of PHC to a General Hospital in Shongwom.
Still in the Health sector, the Commission is renovating CGSS Dadin Kawo in Yamaltu Deba, carrying out Installation of Solar powered system at Specialist hospital Gombe and has supplied 1,000 units of Anti-snake Bite Venom Vaccine to the Snake-bite Treatment and Research Hospital in Kaltungo.
That is not all, the Commission has equally mapped out plans to strengthen training for different categories in Health, Education and Agricultural sectors through its already established NEDC Education Endowment Fund for the purpose of building the human capacity of member states in the zone.
Yobe State was the third to witness another round of the North East Development Commission, NEDC’s ICT Training scheme where 134 Pioneer Trainees successfuly completed their training and certificates, starter-packs, and the sum of N20,000 were presented to each of the grandaunts.
The intervention is in line with the National Agenda for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development in Nigeria to fast-track development and resuscitate the economy in line with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP of the present administration.
Managing Director/CEO NEDC Mohammed G. Alkali said the Commission recognises that technology is critical to developing an inclusive knowledge driven and prosperous economy where all sectors of human endeavour hugely depend on to make any tangible impact.
“The NEDC resolved to key in by improving access to ICT in the North-East zone as a deliberate effort to bring it out of its lowest rank in ICT among other zones of the Country with the overall objective of improving access to IT resources within the zone and empower the population with the necessary vocational education skills as well as tools that can make them self reliant” Alkali said.
In addition to making the people of the Northeast self-productive and economically independent where marketable skills Training it is believed that the establishment of the ICT Centres will serve as a catalyst for growth that will lead to a more safe, secure, and technologically driven prosperous North East Region that is a major asset to Nigeria and a global model for post-conflict socio-economic recovery and development.
All participants would be trained on the different modules including Entrepreneurship, Book-keeping, and Appreciation after which the trainees will be divided into two based on choice and personal capabilities while one of the two groups will be trained on graphic +-design classes, the other will be trained on Smartphone repairs.
He appealed to Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni to encourage and further support the successful sons and daughters of the state by allocating strategic business premises to them for the next two years to enable them to commence their vocations seamlessly.
As the nation is currently witnessing the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic the MD NEDC stressed that all hands must be on deck to contain its spread recalling that President Buhari signed an Executive Order in respect of Covid-19 and the importance to observe by all.
To support further the efforts of the Yobe State Government in curbing the spread of the virus, Mohammed Alkali announced the donation of some preventive items to boost personal protection against Covid-19 especially among children in both Public and Private Schools, Security Agencies and Members of National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW who commutes passengers daily in the state.
Items distributed includes 10,000 pieces of branded face masks for public primary schools, 5,000 pieces of branded face masks for private primary schools, 4,000 branded face masks for military and other security agencies.
Others are 2,000 pieces of assorted hand sanitizers, 100 pieces infrarred thermometers for primary schools and 5,000 branded face masks for Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
“In addition to the Covid-19 Items listed above, the Commission is further extending its gesture to the education sector in the state by providing 10,000 blankets to public boarding schools, 60,000 exercise books to public schools and 20,000 exercise books to private schools”.
The Commission has also provided some Agricultural inputs to small holder farmers in Yobe state to enhance their production capacity and enable the smallholder farmers improve their livelihood.
This is part of the Commission’s Integrated Agriculture Programmes involving the provision of Agricultural Machinery and Equipment, Seeds, Fertilizers, Agrochemicals, and other farming logistics.
“It is my pleasure to inform you all that the Commission will distribute the following farm inputs for the next farming season to support Yobe State Smaller holder Farmers with 1,500 Bags Improved Rice Seeds, 4,500 bags of Fertilizers, 465 Cartons of Herbicides and 1,500 Bottles of Fungicides”.
NEDC MD/CEO further explained that the distribution is a modest indication of the Commission’s commitment to start a highly impactful Agricultural interventions that will soon commenced in the Region.
The Rapid Response Intervention RRI Projects is currently ongoing across the 17 LGAs of Yobe State in the areas of Education, Health, Agriculture and WASH sectors and construction of new Solar Powered Boreholes, Upgrade of an Existing ones as well as Renovation of block of Classrooms with an average of 4 projects in all the LGAs.
The Commission has completed 50 projects and 46 to be completed soon to make a total number of 96 projects in Yobe state.
Also, in Yobe NEDC also plans to construct 500 Houses and Mega Schools across the three Senatorial Districts.
Other achievements of the commission as the MD/CEO further stated is 40km Gujba-Ngalda road constructed by a World Bank supported Project financed by Multisectoral Crisis Recovery Project MCRP under the coordination of the NEDC.
He equally revealed that the Commission in its 2021 work-plan included the construction of 54km connectivity from Mutai-Ngalda road in a bid to expand pace for Agriculture and other development facilities in the state.
Governor Mai Mala Buni represented by the Secretary to the State Government SSG, Baba Malam Wali thanked the Commission for the support the people of Yobe are benefiting in diverse ways describing it as unprecedented.
“I am made to understand that 134 Trained Youths cut across the 17LGAs in the State are graduating from the NEDC ICT Resource centre, I therefore commend the Commission for its numerous activities especially the award of Certificates, starter Packs in addition to the N20,000 donation to the pioneer beneficiaries of the ICT Training Programme”.
He acknowledged the NEDC’s inclusion of local content in its undertakings and partnership with the Yobe State Government in its post Insurgency Resettlement, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Drive.
The Commission he noted has achieved a lot towards actualizing the reason of its establishment by President Muhammed Buhari with the view of addressing the peculiar challenges in the region which has suffered set back due to insurgency for more than a decade.
Also, in Borno State, 166 Participants of the maiden ICT Programme graduated.
The NEDC boss noted with satisfaction that over 61,000 candidates applied for the Programme from the Six States of the region but only 1,200 were selected with additional 1,200 to benefit in the second phase to be conducted soon.
“To the successful beneficiaries, it is my pleasure to congratulate you all as the first set of NEDC ICT training beneficiaries. I am optimistic that you are now fully equipped with the ICT skills of computer graphics and cell phone repairs. To mark successful completion of the training, each of you will be kitted with free starter packs and the sum of 20,000 to enable you hit the
ground running”, Alkali said.
“Sequel to President Buhari’s approval, the Commission is working with the State government to establish and equip about ten (10) Technical and Vocational Training Centres across Borno with a view to providing opportunities for critical acquisition of hands-on skills by youth in the state”.
The MD/CEO said due to the importance of ICT and the high demand for the training, the Commission has concluded plans to replicate additional ICT resource centres in all the 18 senatorial districts in the zone. Borno will get additional two centres.
“We hope that the entrepreneurship and ICT Training you have acquired will not only empower you as individuals but turn you into employers of labour soon. The Commission will because of the premium placed on your empowerment monitor your progress in the coming few months to reward those that may do well on their vocation”.
Mohammed G. Alkali then appealed to the Borno State Governor to encourage and further support the trainees by allocating strategic business premisses to commence their vocation easily for the next two years.
With the second wave of the outbreak of Corona Virus, the Commission as revealed by MD/CEO Alkali is to elevate (Covid-19) Laboratory Facilities to Infectious Diseases Testing Centres across the Zone.
“It would be recalled that Mr President recently sign an Executive Order in respect of Covid-19 and it is necessary for all to observe it. To support further the efforts of Government of Borno state in curbing the spread of the disease, the NEDC is not relenting in taking relevant proactive measures in that regard”.
The MD/CEO NEDC then announced the donation of some items to boost personal protection against Covid-19 especially among children in both Public and Private Schools, Security Agencies, and the National Union of Road Transport Workers whose members commute passengers daily in the state.
The items include 40,000 pieces of branded Face Masks, 100 Infrared Thermometers, 2,000 bottles of Hand Sanitizers, 7,000 Antiseptic and Medicated soaps for IDPs, 500 pieces of Bio Super Wound Gel for clinics in IDPs camps and 500 pieces of Bio Nursing Genealogical Gel for Maternity Clinics in IDPs Camps.
In addition to the Covid-19 preventive items donated to the state government, the Commission equally presented 10,000 Blankets, 5,000 (25kg) bags of Rice, 1,000 cartons of Tomato Paste and 1,000 bags of sugar to IDPs/Returnees.
Other donations include that of learning materials to include 60,000 exercise books to Public Schools and 20,000 exercise books to Private schools.
“The Commission is also constructing and equipping a burn Centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital to serve victims of burns and other related incidences”.
The Commission he also noted has reached an advanced state to establishing Youth Development Centres across the zone in addition to the establishment of Rehabilitation Centres to address the menace of the trauma and other Psycho-Social issues impacted on the citizenry by the Insurgency as well as other incidental cases.
“The Commission has already established the NEDC Education Endowment Fund for the purpose of Building Human Capital of Member States in the Zone and set aside N6 billion to operationalize the fund which will leverage on the Health, Education, Agric sectors among others with more emphasis on the training of Teachers, Agric Extension Officers and Health Personnel”.
Some of the interventions the Commission to be carried out in 2021 include opening of Economic corridors and other growth-poles in the state in addition to the construction of Mega Schools in each of the three (3) Senatorial Districts and the provision of Social and hard-core infrastructures that can facilitate Social-cohesion and re-integration in the returning communities.
“the Commission is happy to report that it has begun the process of the development of a robust Master Plan titled the North-East Stabilization and Development Master Plan”.
The Commission he said will integrate various plans of the states in the zone already established to produce a fully harmonized regional Master Plan to the developmental needs of the Northeast region.
The North East Development Commission, NEDC, has equally taken yet another bold step towards realising one of its core mandates in the North East region.
This time around, the Commission has completed and handed over forty thousand (40,000) two-seater Classroom’s furniture to the Borno State Government for onward distribution to Schools across the 27 Local Government Areas of the State.
The gesture is part of the Rapid Response intervention RRI Projects of the Commission geared at facilitating the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the educational system of the North East particularly Borno State which was devastated by Boko Haram insurgency.
“The RRI projects initiative was conceived as an aftermath of the Commission’s Governing Board’s maiden Regional Fact-Finding tour of the Northeast states, when Members of the Board came across the harrowing conditions that citizens of the zone were living in the wake of the insurgency and numerous other conflicts” MD stated.
The RRI project is a unique initiative where the Commission resolved to intervene urgently to ease the situation of citizens through execution projects in a multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional infrastructure rehabilitation and construction programmes where two (2) projects will be implemented in each of the 112 Local Government Areas of the North East states with a budget of N50 Million Naira per LGA amounting to the cost of Six billion Naira (N6b).
“In order to ensure that the projects were Demand-Driven, the Commission requested State Governments to nominate projects for each of their LGAs from infrastructure related sectors to include Education, Health, WASH, Social Infrastructure and Agriculture where the response was massive with States requesting for a total of 1,310 projects estimated to cost 5.8 billion naira”.
The Managing Director announced that NEDC has so far executed 647 projects in the education, health, water supply, infrastructural facilities, and agricultural sectors of Northeast. The completed projects were under the Commission’s Rapid Response Intervention (RRI) scheme to ease the devastating effects of over a decade long Boko Haram insurgency.
According to him, when preliminary assessment of projects was carried out, 647 projects were rationalized across the six states of the region.
Borno state Governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, commended NEDC for its various intervention programmes in the State and pledged his Government’s continues support and cooperation to the Commission.
He described the ICT Programme as timely and appropriate which will help to empower and generate employment opportunities for thousands of youths.
He reiterated his Government’s desire to resettle all IDPs in their various Communities by next year and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for establishing the NEDC which is touching the lives of the people.
In Adamawa State NEDC flags off Infrastructure, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation IRR Projects where the Commission has fully commenced the reconstruction and rehabilitation of some federal roads and bridges in the North East which were destroyed during the twelve years of Boko Haram insurgency.
The move is to assist in revamping the economic activities of the region as well as restore trade links among member States of the region and the Republic of Cameroon.
This is being done under a special arrangement between the Commission and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
Already, NEDC has taken over some of the projects in Adamawa State for onward completion.
This came to light at the inauguration of the NEDC infrastructure reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in Yola.
Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali noted that the 12 years of insurgency in the region had affected commerce, following the destruction of markets, roads, and bridges as well as public sector infrastructure.
He said the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing had awarded numerous contracts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads in the region, but the projects couldn’t be executed due to lack of funds and insecurity in the region.
As a result, NEDC deemed it necessary to intervene and take over the responsibility of full funding and reconstruction of the abandoned projects.
“The first project to benefit from this co-funding collaboration is the reconstruction of three bridges at Kudzum, Dilechim and Wuro Ngayandi all in Adamawa.
“The commission will, as part of the collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, also construct additional three bridges on the newly awarded 80-kilometre Jabbi Lamba-Belel road contract,” Alkali said.
He explained that the reconstruction of the bridges would restore trade links between Adamawa and Borno as well as boost trades with Cameroon Republic.
Alkali said the commission had apportioned 647 projects across the states in the region in the education, agriculture, and health sectors.
Further he said. Adamawa State has benefitted tremendously from the NEDC Rapid Response Initiative Scheme under which numerous projects were executed in different parts of the State.
These include construction of blocks of classrooms at all the 21 Local Government Areas of the State, resuscitation of ICT Entrepreneurship Centre at Federal College of Education, Yola, training of 140 ICT participants on Computer Graphics and handset repairs, donation of Hospital equipment, ventilators, Ambulances as well as provision of various agricultural inputs and chemicals for farmers. In addition, 500 new Housing units and three Mega Schools will soon be built in Yola and other towns.
He announced that NEDC willl soon launch North East Stabilisation and Master plan which will usher in a holistic development of the North East.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), said several schemes had been evolved by the current administration to close the funding gap required for road projects in the country.
Fashola, represented by Mr Emmanuel Adeoye, Director Highways Bridges and Design, listed the scheme as Sukuk Funds, Tax Credit Scheme and Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).
He said the Chinese Exim Bank loan was one of the schemes and added that more funds were still needed to cater for road infrastructure deficit across the country.
He said the ministry had approached the NEDC for partnership to improve the quality of road infrastructure in the zone which it readily accepted.
“The NEDC an agency of the Federal Government mandated to rebuild the region gladly accepted to collaborate with the ministry to co-fund road projects in the zone.
“This laudable partnership has given birth to the co-funding of any federal highway in Adamawa,” Fashola said.
In his remark, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, described the beginning of the projects as a manifestation of good working relationship between federal and state agencies. He welcomed the intervention of the NEDC, describing it as timely and appropriate due financial challenges facing the States.
Chairman NEDC Governing Board Major General Paul Tarfa Rtd recalled that the Commission was established with the aim of rebuilding the Northeast and complement efforts of governments in the 6 member states of the region.
He therefore commended Governor of Adamawa state for his commitment towards transforming the state in line with goals of NEDC. He promised that the Commission will cooperate with his Government and ensure completion of all projects embarked upon that have direct bearing on the lives of the people.
Prior to this programme, NEDC had assisted Adamawa State in resuscitating its ICT/Entrepreneurship Centre located at the Federal College of Education to help train students on Entrepreneurship.
Minister Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq who was represented at the occasion commended the Commission for empowering youths to be self-reliant thereby contributing to the economic growth of the region having been destabilized by activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
She stated her ministry’s commitment towards ensuring that the NEDC achieves its core mandate establishing the Commission in Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement of the Northeast Region.
Chairman of the Governing Board of NEDC Maj. Gen. Paul C. Tarfa Rtd re-called that the Commission was essentially established with the aim of rebuilding the Northeast and also complement efforts of governments in the 6 member states of the region.
He commended the Governor state for his commitment towards achieving his goals of transforming the state and promised that the Commission will collaborate with the State to ensure the execution and completion of all meaningful projects that have direct bearing on the lives of the people.
As a demonstration of its desire to collaborate with NEDC, Adamawa State Government has also requested the Commission to help it rehabilitate and resuscitate its dormant Technical Skills Acquisition Centres in the State and the request is now receiving attention of the Commission.
NEDC: THE JOURNEY SO FAR.
President Muhammadu Buhari established the North East Development Commission in 2017 and the act establishing it was signed into Law on October 26, 2017. The President in January 2019 constituted the Board with General Paul Chabiri Tarfa Rtd, Mohammed G. Alkali as Chairman and Managing Director/CEO respectively, three Executive Directors and six Directors representing each of the six Geo-political Zone of Nigeria, as well as representative of Federal Ministries of Finance and Budget and National Planning. After successful confirmation by the Senate, the Board was inaugurated on May 8, 2019.
The Commission is mandated with the responsibility of receiving and managing funds allocated by the Federal Government and international donors for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and construction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of insurgency and terrorism as well as tackling the menace of poverty, illiteracy, ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental challenges in the North-East States, and related matters.
Since the inauguration of the Governing Board of the Commission on May 8, 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, the Board, Management and Staff of the Commission have been working very hard to fulfil its mandate to reconstruct, resettle and rebuilding the region after more than a decade of devastation caused by the menace of Boko Haram insurgency.
In realisation of its mandate of intervention and rehabilitation programmes with a view to tackling and in alleviating the menace of poverty, illiteracy, ecological problems and other related environmental or developmental challenges in the North East the Commission’s Board and Management undertook fact findings and advocacy visits to the six (6) States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe. After successful outing, it embarked on some critical interventions as follows;
MEDICAL OUTREACH
The aim of the intervention was the delivery of emergency free medical services to the people in Maiduguri and its environs that have been affected by the insurgency and who have been displaced from their homes. A total of 4127 patients were seen in the duration of a week. A team of professional medical and non-medical personnel carried out several medical services ranging from General outpatient consultations to surgical interventions during the outreach. Some recommendations that have arisen as a result of these outreaches is the need to establish a referral system where patients can access free health care outside of the week-long free medical outreach to cater for disease conditions that cannot be treated in the current scope of the intervention.
Goals and Objectives:
The overall goal of the intervention was to increase the access of 3000 community members in Maiduguri and its environs especially those affected by the insurgency, to qualitative health care.
Prior to the medical intervention, supplies were purchased and transported to the host facility.
A team of qualified professional medical and non-medical personnel were recruited to offer medical services to the host community.
Some of the services offered include:
1. General outpatient consultations: The outreaches recruited 25 medical doctors, who diagnosed patients with different ailments ranging from treatable conditions like malaria, hypertension, diabetes, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and peptic ulcer diseases, and also made referrals for patients with chronic conditions who needed care outside the scope of the interventions.
Consultation rooms and emergency points were set up within the host facility, the emergency departments were used to attend to emergencies with supplies being provided by the team.
The team also rendered some inpatient services to patients who were already on admission in the host facility before the team arrived. This was done in conjunction with the staff in the host facility. The total number of patients that were seen by the doctors were 2671
2. General/Specialized surgical procedures: Patients requiring surgical intervention were seen at the outpatient unit and sent to the surgical team for assessment. Following evaluation by the team of surgeons,
patients had various surgical procedures carried out. With the assistance from hospital staff in the host facility, the post-operative team of volunteers took care of the post-operative patient, providing free medications (intravenous and oral) and nursing care. At the start of each day, the team of surgeons conducted rounds on the post- operative patients prior to the commencement of the day’s work. The Surgical team, including post-operative nurses, were 30 volunteers. A total of 98 surgeries were performed.
c. Eye Surgeries: 5 eye surgical volunteers, including the ophthalmologist, were recruited for the eye surgical unit. And a total of 168 eye surgeries were performed. Patients were screened daily for cases requiring surgical intervention, prepared and operated on. Following screening, patients fit for surgery were counseled about post- operative care, lifestyle modification and importance of adherence to post- operative medication. They were also given appointments to return for a follow-up visits.
d. Dental Consultations and Procedures: Patients requiring dental intervention trooped to the dental unit daily. The dental team consisted of 6 volunteers (3 dentist, 2 therapists and 1 technician). Services provided in the dental unit included scaling and polishing, dentures fabrication, extractions and minor dental procedures like, abscess drainage, suturing of maxillofacial lacerations and composite fillings and other surgical procedures. A total of 366 patients had 745 procedures performed on them, and patients who were seen in the dental unit that required follow up care and further management beyond the scope of the intervention were referred to the nearest tertiary center for care. A very important aspect of the dental consultations were sessions of dental and oral health hygiene talks. Patients were taught how to brush properly, the duration of brushing
and number of times to brush daily. Free toothbrushes and toothpaste were given to patients seen at the dental unit following consultations and health talks.
- Pharmaceutical Services: 2534 patients were sent to the pharmacy unit for medications. Patients received one on one interaction with the volunteer pharmacists, who explained to patients how the medications should be taken, duration, possible side effects and other important drug information. Six (6) volunteer pharmacists were recruited for the pharmacy unit.
- Eye Care services: The team of 4 volunteer optometrists offered consultation services to 645 patients, eye examinations, dispensed eye medications and also gave out 243 free eyeglasses to patients with various refractive errors. Patients seen in the eye care unit who had complications from chronic conditions like Hypertension and Diabetes were referred to the consulting unit for further care, counseling and management.
- Laboratory Services: A total number of 2029 Supportive laboratory test were carried out on 851 patients during the course of the outreaches to aid diagnosis and prepare both general surgical and eye surgical patients. The team 9 lab scientists and technicians also made use of host’s laboratory facility to aid in the proper diagnosis of patients who were seen. Investigations like Ultrasound scan and X-rays available in the host facility were utilized and paid for during the course of the medical outreach.
- Health Promotion/ Health Talks/VCT services: Patients waiting to be seen by the various units were offered health promotion talks with voluntary counseling and testing. The health promotion unit also had one on one interaction with patients who had children under 5 and mothers of malnourished children. These patients were taught how to identify common life-threatening conditions common in under 5’s and malnourished children. They were also taught how to make use of readily available food materials within their vicinity to make nutrient rich meals and were also given samples of fortified pap to take home. Patients were also encouraged to screen for Retroviral disease, and those who were positive for the first time, were referred to the nearest Anti-retroviral center for initiation of Anti-Retroviral Therapy. The total. Number of patients that passed through this unit were 179.
NEDC LAUNCHES ICT CENTRE IN NORTH EAST STATES
The North East region has been severely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, which exacerbated the pre-existing socio –economic developmental challenges. The region had the lowest indices relative to the rest of the country in areas of education,
health care, employment and infrastructure amongst others. These low levels of socio-economic development and poor governance have been identified as some of the underlying causes of the insurgency and remain pertinent factors to address in the recovery rebuilding of the North East. In an effort to increase efficiency in governance, the federal government therefore identified promotion in the application of technology as one of the key areas of focus. It has also recognized the importance of innovation and youth empowerment and the significant role such improvements
will play in security and economic growth of the North East region and the country at large. In this regard, the NEDC which is mandated with the rebuilding process of the North East region will key into the National agenda for ICT development in Nigeria to fast track development, improve access to ICT and resuscitate the region economically in line with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) \of the administration.
The NEDC launched its first ICT Enterprise Resources Training Centre in April 2020 at the Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi State. About 400 youths being trained on different Modules. This program was designed to inculcate skills on information technology and foster the growth entrepreneurial skills among the youths in the region. The overall objective of this program is to improve access to IT resources within the region and empower residents of the North East with the necessary vocational education, skills, and tools that can make them self-reliant.
In line with the vision of the NEDC to see a prosperous 21st Century North East Region with a robust ICT local content driven industry that delivers Social and Economic Services in a manner that enhances safety, stimulates wealth creation and environmental sustainability for all, the NEDC also established ICT Training Centers within Higher Institutions in the Gombe, Taraba and Bauchi (GTB )states and has also revamped the existing ICT Training Centers of the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY)states. These centers are expected train youth annually in the areas of Entrepreneurship and Computer Appreciation, Digital Graphics Design and Smartphone Management and Repairs. It is also expected that this will in turn create more jobs across the region and promote development of human capacity.
The Commission has also established the ICT Centre in the remaining North-East States to make youth self-productive and economically Independent. It is believed that the program would lead to the establishment of a safe, secure and prosperous North East sub-Region, as well as a model for post- conflict, socio-economic recovery and development.
With the right skills, people are better equipped to set up their own businesses and in turn, create jobs and make them active partakers in the economy. This will serve as a “gateway to self-employment and economic prosperity”
NORTH-EAST DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION RESPONSE TO COVID -19
The Commission embarked on a number of activities including sensitization of residents of communities and IDP camps, procurement and distribution of health sector equipment’s and consumables for protection against the virus and supporting treatment and management of Covid 19.
The Commissions intervention actions were designed to support both preventive and therapeutic obligations, which was why the Commission started with public awareness campaigns on the dangers of the pandemic and produced media materials in the major languages spoken in the Region for broadcast on radio and TV platforms across all the six States.
Critical items were distributed that were expected to boost the containment of the pandemic in the Region, as well as provide therapeutic capabilities to the Tertiary Health Institutions in the Region.
The Commission built two advanced health facilities in Maiduguri: a 20-bed facility within the Muhammad Goni Stadium IDP camp and a 30-bed facility in within the Muna Garage IDP Camp. Each of these facilities is fully equipped and utilized as Screening/Isolation centers.
The Commission also comprehensively equipped a Molecular Laboratory in Bauch state, which has been certified by the NCDC and is used for screening and testing of Covid 19, Lassa Fever and other viral diseases. The Molecular Testing Laboratories for testing COVID-19 and other infectious diseases will also be established in all the States in the NE Region.
On the containment of COVID-19, the Commission also Procured and distributed critical items (health sector equipment) such as ventilators, hospital beds, ambulances and consumables and provision of basic therapeutic capabilities to the Tertiary Health Institutions in the Region to curb the spread of the virus.
NEDC EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND
The Commission established the North-East Development Commission Education Endowment Fund (NEDC-EEF) for the purpose of building the human capital of Member States in the Region. It shall operate through provision of Scholarships to deserving and eligible beneficiaries. The Commission shall put in place a Board of Trustees to prudently manage the Six Billion Naira set aside for the Fund. Part of the Fund shall be specially used to cater for specific groups such as orphans, youths in sports and those whose education was forcibly truncated by the decade-long insurgency. Scholarships shall be granted to candidates at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degree levels, across all the North-East States, as follows:
- 2,056 candidates from the 1,028 Wards in the North-East to acquire basic ICT skills.
- 2,056 beneficiaries also from the 1,028 Wards to undertake Bachelor’s degrees in relevant programmes in Universities located in the NE Region.
- 336 beneficiaries from the 112 Local Government Areas of the North-East to undertake master’s degree programmes in demand-driven areas in Nigerian or overseas institutions.
- 18 Doctorate degree scholarships from the 18 Senatorial Districts of the Region.
- Special support to 5,000 beneficiaries such as orphans, those whose education was truncated by BH and youths engaged in sports. The project will also offer special support to post- secondary scholarship award to 2,000 beneficiaries of the safe school Initiative, youths engaged in sports and training and re-training of teachers, nurses and midwives with annual target beneficiaries of over 20,000 annually.
INTEGRATED AGRICULTURE SCHEME
The Commission recognized that Agriculture is the mainstay of the North East economy. Decades of neglect followed by ten years of insurgency had relegated the Agriculture sector in the North-East to subsistence, at best. Agricultural value chains production infrastructure became non-functional from absence of new investments, input supply chains and extension services all depleted to such extent that agricultural productivity and output in the Region became the lowest in per-capita terms from any part of the country.
The Commission plans an Integrated Agricultural Scheme that shall support initially, smallholder farmers to return to productivity and regain their lost livelihoods (in rice production this time), to be rolled out as follows:
- Distribution of improved rice and vegetable seeds to farmer cooperatives and commodity associations
- Distribution of fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to farmer cooperatives and commodity associations
- Distribution of water pumps and accessories to farmer cooperatives and commodity associations
The Commission is also adopting dry season to run the above pilot scheme so that it can prepare adequately for subsequent rainy production seasons. In addition to distribution of the project vehicles and motorcycles. During this pilot season, the Commission plans to make available an assortment of 86 hand tractors and mini tractors to establish the NEDC THUs in the States, as follows:
Adamawa 15 Tractors
Bauchi 14 Tractors
Borno 14 Tractors
Gombe 14 Tractors
Taraba 15 Tractors
Yobe 14 Tractors
The Commission expects to empower 1,500 farmers in each of the six States, to do one hectare each, resulting in 9,000ha for the scheme this season. The Commission will provide all the inputs and mechanization services and will off-take all the output by participating/beneficiary farmers.
The Commission distributed various equipment and inputs such as 6 4-WD project vehicles, 72 motorcycles for extension workers, 86 mini/walking tractors, 48 rice planters, 9,000 irrigation pumps, 1,350 tons of NPK fertilizer and various quantities of rice seeds, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides to farmers across the six States.
RAPID RESPONSE INTERVENTION
The commission in its short term developmental plan first quarter of 2020 has commenced the implementation 647 Rapid Response Intervention (RRI) Projects in Agriculture/Environment, Education, Health, Energy/Power and WASH Sector across all the 112 LGAs in the 6 States of the NE Region.
The Commission found it imperative in a quest to ameliorate the sufferings of the people and communities in the 112 Local Governments areas in the region. The Commission has approved the execution of two key projects for immediate intervention in each of the Local Government Areas in the education, agriculture and health sectors.
The Rapid Response Intervention projects were submitted by various State Governments in respect of projects to be executed in the states. The Commission representatives have carried out detailed surveys and assessments of the requested projects and/or alternatives for the purposes of ascertaining locations, levels of dilapidation and eligibility of implementation.
The North East Development Commission remains committed to recovering the livelihood, health and educational standard of the people of the North East. The Commission hopes to collaborate with UN agencies, other international donors, partners, NGO’s and community-based organisations in ensuring that it promotes and builds resilience of vulnerable people in the region as advocated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration.
MAMBILLA HYDROPOWER PROJECT LOCAL CONTENT SENSITIZATION
As a member of the Federal Government Project Delivery Committee of Mambilla Hydro Electric Power Project in Taraba State, which was inaugurated and now functional, the Commission represents the interest of the Region in respect of sensitization on the local content component of the project. Training of indigenous youths in various skills to meet the manpower needs of the project has commenced on 12th December 2020.
HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT
Another major area of intervention by the North East Development Commission NEDC is the housing sector where it has already commenced the construction of ten thousand houses to facilitate early resettlement of IDPs scattered across the State. This is part of the Federal government’s commitment to the reconstruction and resettlement of communities devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The houses will consist of Semidetached bungalows with courtyards for four households per block and will be five in a row. The first phase of the Presidential Housing Programme, work has reached an advanced stage at Ngwom, Maiduguri. On 25th June 2020, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, DM&SD represented Mr. President at the formal ground-breaking ceremony of the 10,000 Presidential Housing Programme at Ngwom. The first phase of houses was completed, and the second one has reached advanced level of completion. For each of the remaining 5 States in the Region, the Commission will soon commence the construction of 500 houses.
The remaining houses will be built across 10 worst hit local government areas across the state as soon as possible and the IDPS will be moved out of the camp to their respective homes.
SUPPORT TO SECURITY OPERATIVES IN THE NORTH-EAST
As part of its core mandate to fast-track peace and development in the North East sub-Region, The Commission handed over 120 operational vehicles to the military and security agencies to enhance their operations in the fight against insurgency.
The Commission deemed it apt to provide non-kinetic logistic support to the Armed Forces and other security apparatus. On 25th June 2020, the Commission officially launched and handed over logistic security vehicles, ambulances and ankle and knee girdles to the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police, DSS and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to support their operations of restoring security and peace in the North East Region.
The Commission observed that without lasting peace and stability, it cannot perform its functions hence the logistics support.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Part of the Commission’s mandate is to fast track the development of the northeast that was devasted by the decade long insurgency in the region. The devastation is colossal, hence the need to put enormous effort in place for rebuilding, resettlement and long-term development of the region.
Following the period under review, NEDC partook in the following ongoing/committed Special Projects:
- Reconstruction of three (3) bridges along the road from Mararraba Mubi (Adamawa State) to Bama (Borno State).
- Construction of three (3) bridges on the Jabbi-Lamba to Belel Road in Adamawa State
- Construction of 54 km Mutai to Ngalda Sector of the Gujba-Ngalda Road in Yobe State
- Rehabilitation of Maiduguri-Bama Road in Borno State
- Construction of Mayo Ndaga bridge in Taraba State
- Construction of three Mega Schools in each Member State (i.e. one each in all 18 Senatorial Districts in the NE).
- Reconstruction of Police Station and Barracks destroyed by insurgents in Garkida, Adamawa State
- Construction of Soro Cattle Market, Bauchi State.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE, RESETTLEMENT AND EARLY RECOVER ACTIVITIES
- The Commission intervenes in all emergency and humanitarian situations in the North-East States such as floods and other natural disasters, as well as assistance after insurgency attacks through the provision of food and non-food items. Support is provided to victims pf such disasters; other major beneficiaries include IDPs, host communities and clients of Operation Safe Corridor.
- Stock-piling of thousands of tons of food and non-food relief items stored in the six States of the Region, for use in the event of eventualities, as some have already been used recently in all the States in the wake of insurgency attacks and the Pandemic.
- Sequel to terrorist attacks on Auno in Borno State, Garkida town in Adamawa State and Dapchi in Yobe State, the Commission visited the States and the communities to deliver food and non-food relief materials to hapless residents.
- The Commission also sent food and non-food items to communities in Taraba after incidences of communal violence that led to internal displacements as well as in Adamawa State to communities ravaged by flash floods.
- Undertook successful outreach missions to all the States for the provision of free medical services to the residents of those States.
- Supported the Operation Safe Corridor initiative for de-radicalization and rehabilitation of repentant insurgents with relief items and with funding for some of their activities and business starter packs to 606 graduating clients.
- Keyed into the National Action Plan on DDRR being rolled out by the ONSA and driven by the IOM.
- Commenced discussions on implementation of the North-East Biometric Identification Management System (including establishment of a robust Regional Data Centre).
- Provision of humanitarian relief materials and services to more than 3,500 households with 31,500 individuals, in the following communities of Borno State:
- Baga Community in Kukawa Local Government Area;
- Ajiri Community in Konduga Local Government Area;
- Ngoshe Community in Gwoza Local Government Area;
- Marte Community in Marte LGA.
- Sponsorship of peace building radio programmes as part of strategy to target critical populations living in hard-to-reach areas, the Commission to pass messages of peace to the rural communities in the North East Region.
- Supported women with palliatives through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, where 5,000 bags and cartons of different food items distributed to the beneficiaries in the North East Zone.
- Sensitization program on drug abuse and education – The Commission collaborated with the Jakadiya Trust Foundation to organise a youth sensitisation rally on saying “No to drugs and “Yes to education”. This held on the 28th of November 2020 at the Emir of Mubi’s palace. The Commission provided N18,900,000 to organise the rally and as institutional support through the provision of a photocopier, printer, laptops and desktops. Owing to the success of the program and its far reaching impact on the youths, the recommendation that the Commission collaborates with NDLEA, State ministries of Education, Community heads and other relevant stakeholders in organising similar sensitization programmes in the other 5 North East states has been approved for execution.
- Palliatives for deceased teachers’ families – The Commission provided food and non-food items to 546 families of teachers that were slain during the insurgency in Borno State. This was carried out at the request of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (Borno State Wing).
- Safe School Initiative (SSI) – The management of students enrolled in 43 unity colleges in order for them to benefit from uninterrupted education in a safe environment is ongoing. The Commission is in the final stage of finalising a grant agreement between the NEDC and the German Government. The German government is providing EUR 1 million towards supporting the SSI program for two academic years (2020/2021 to 2021/2022 years).
- Provision of Educational Support Materials – The Commission is providing educational support items such as school bags, writing materials, exercise books, text books and white boards to primary schools and junior secondary schools in the North East States. Up to 10,000 beneficiaries in each of the 6 States are expected to be covered.
SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION IN BORNO STATE
Sequel to the conditional approval of the request for support by the Borno State Governor to Mr. President, the NEDC was mandated to work with the State Government, NEMA and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to implement the following interventions:
- Construction of 10,000 replacement houses in Borno State for returnees.
- Provision of non-food items to IDPs and returnees in the State
- Support to irrigated agriculture by provision of inputs and equipment for rice and vegetables production etc., jointly with the FMARD
- Establishment of Technical Vocational/Skills centres across the State
The stock of houses in the North-East prior to the decade-long insurgency was about 4 million, out of which Borno State accounted for 980,000. During the insurgency, 6-8% of houses and privately-owned commercial premises in the Region were either outrightly destroyed or irreparably damaged, and 95% of this damage/destruction (approximately 250,000) happened in Borno State.
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