Akwa Ibom moves to count flood and crisis displaced residents for federal support
- Akwa Ibom and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs met in Uyo to plan a needs assessment.
- The state says floods, communal crises, oil spillage and climate change have displaced many coastal villages.
- Officials want the state listed as an IDP state so it can access federal support and resettlement.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has agreed to work with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) to improve the welfare of vulnerable people in the state, including residents forced from their homes by floods and other disasters.
The commitment was made in Uyo on Wednesday when a team from the commission met officials of the state Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, according to reports by The Nation and The Sun.
Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Princess Emem Ibanga said the state has many internally displaced persons (IDPs), a term for people forced from their homes who remain inside the country. She listed floods, communal crises, insurgency, oil spillage and climate change as causes, saying some coastal areas and villages have been swept away.
She called for resettlement of displaced people to be made a priority and properly institutionalised, as she said is the case in the North.
Why the count matters
The commission's spokesperson, Mr Eno Essien, of its Research and Documentation Department, said the meeting was to seek the state's support for a needs assessment. That assessment would establish the actual number of IDPs, refugees and migrants in Akwa Ibom.
Essien said the report would allow recommendations to be made so the state can access support available from the Federal Government. He asked the state ministry to follow up after the assessment so the programme is not diverted or abandoned for political reasons.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Eno Akpapan, said a humanitarian strategic plan is needed to fit the state's own situation.
Mr Uduak Isaac, Permanent Secretary for Human Capacity Development and Statistician General of the state, said Akwa Ibom is ready to work with federal agencies on the assessment so it becomes a national programme.
The Governor's Special Assistant on Entrepreneurial Development, Mrs Meflyn Anwana, drew attention to the state's coastal areas and asked for partnership on entrepreneurial development for people living there.
The team was led by NCFRMI Zonal Coordinator for Calabar, Mr Etim Ernest, and included Okoja Field Officer Mr Andy Ubon, Prince Aston Joseph of the Voice of Bakasi and Refugee Foundation, and Mr Enobong Umana.
For ordinary residents, the outcome could mean federal help with shelter, resettlement and livelihoods for families displaced by flooding and other disasters, rather than relying on state support alone.
What happens next
The needs assessment is expected to follow, after which the commission can make recommendations. Whether Akwa Ibom is formally listed as a state with IDPs, and what federal support follows, will depend on that report.
