The Yobe State Government has identified skill training and capital

provision as one the major needs of the Internally Displaced people in

the State and other States that have been ravaged by insurgency.

The Executive Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency

(Y0SEMA), Idi Jidawa,   disclosed this to newsmen in Damaturu the Yobe

State Capital.

The Yobe State Government has identified skill training and capital

provision as one the major needs of the Internally Displaced people in

the State and other States that have been ravaged by insurgency.

The Executive Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency

(Y0SEMA), Idi Jidawa,   disclosed this to newsmen in Damaturu the Yobe

State Capital.

Jidawa said, what the IDPs need at the moment as the crisis is getting

to an end is not food and relief materials but the provision of skills

training and some capital for them to manage their lives better after

the crisis is over.

He stressed that the IDPs are now supposed to be thought how to fish

rather than relying on handouts of food relief materials.

“I can tell you that one of the major gaps that we have identified

concerning the IDPs in the state and other places affected by Boko

Haram is the provision of Skills Training and the Capital for them to

start up their business by the time the crisis is over.

“Isha Allah, we are hoping and praying that this problem of Boko Haram

will be over and the people will return to their various communities.

This is why it is very important that they are trained in some trade

and skills acquisition so that the impact of the devastation on them

will not be felt so much by if they are better equipped by the time

they return to their various communities.

“I am not saying that the provision of food relief items is not

important but it is very much pertinent that individuals,

organizations and government should begin a process of putting these

people on the right track with what I just mentioned earlier. As the

saying goes, you give a man a fish and you feed him for a day but if

you teach him how to fish, you will be feeding him for the rest of his

life”, Jidawa explained.

He  called on donor agencies and well-spirited people to follow the

example of  Action Against Hunger/AC International   who have  through

the USAID Office for Foreign  Disaster Assistance  already provided

N40,000 cash  each in collaboration with SEMA  to 650 IDPs  in four

local government areas in Yobe State comprising of Damaturu, Fune, and

Potiskum.

“Like I said earlier, the Action Against Hunger has already begun the

provision of capital and training to victims of insurgency in the

state. ACF have with the help of Office for Foreign Disaster

Assistance has provided cash transfer directly to the IDPs.

Adding that, “Four local governments have been selected based on

population and concentration of IDPs. We have 400 beneficiaries in

Damaturu LGA, 100 in Fune LGA and 150 Potiskum LGA as the first batch

of beneficiaries. The cash transfer involves the sum of N40, 000 each

which has been disbursed to each beneficiary with the requisite

training on how to use the money to better their lots. This is what we

need from organizations, individuals and government now”.

The SEMA boss also informed that another set of 3000 IDPs comprising

of 1500 from Damaturu, 900 from Potiskum and 600 from Fune are in the

second phase of the skills and cash transfer process of the Food for

Peace initiative of the ACF.

He added that each of those beneficiaries will collect the sum of N10,

000, each for seven months.

The SEMA boss commended ACF as the only partner that has remained with

the agency throughout the time of the insurgency.

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Boko Haram: “IDPs need skills and capital more than relief material now”-YOSEMA Secretary