The Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Mr Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called for a strategic partnership between the Federal Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to tackle the growing displacement crisis across the country.
Mr Kalu appealed on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by a UNHCR delegation, led by Nigeria’s Country Representative, Mr Arjun Jain, at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Proposing a five-pronged framework for collaboration, the Deputy Speaker outlined areas such as joint humanitarian responses, technical support for implementing the Kampala Convention, development of climate-displacement risk maps, inclusive policy-making processes, and sustainable post-conflict peacebuilding.
“We are not merely asking for support; we are calling for co-creation,” he said. “This partnership should focus on nutrition, health, and education for IDPs in high-need areas; capacity-building for local authorities under the Kampala Convention; predictive tools for future displacement due to climate change; participatory policy-making involving IDPs; and a strong framework for post-conflict peace rooted in local realities.”
Mr Kalu highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to the Kampala Convention, which it ratified in 2012, stating that his sponsored domestication bill had already passed the House of Representatives and was now before the Senate.
“In a world riddled with complex emergencies, no nation can act alone. Nigeria is ready not just to participate, but to lead through legislation and through action,” he declared.
He stressed that the domestication of the Kampala Convention was a moral obligation and not just a legal formality. “Domestication is how we move from intention to impact. A law that lives only on paper while lives remain in peril is a betrayal of both governance and grace,” he said.
Mr Kalu also emphasised the need for data-driven policy, citing his regional needs assessment of IDPs in the South-East. “The goal was not charity it was clarity. We needed precise data on educational, nutritional, medical, and security challenges in order to respond effectively,” he said.
Also Read: Deputy Speaker Calls for U.S. Partnership on Electoral Inclusion
He noted that Nigeria’s response must extend beyond emergency relief. “The true test of leadership is not how we react to disaster, but how we prepare for peace,” he said, adding that sustainable peace must rebuild communities and reimagine the future.
Referencing his “Peace in South-East Project (PISE-P),” Mr Kalu spoke of deploying non-kinetic solutions such as community dialogue, economic empowerment, and strategic reconciliation. “This is peace through trust, not peace by force. It may have started in the South-East, but its structure is designed for national application.”
He insisted that IDPs must be active participants in their own recovery. “As we say in Nigeria, ‘He who wears the shoe knows where it pinches.’ Their voices are not a favour they are a right.”
In response, UNHCR Country Representative Arjun Jain commended Mr Kalu for his leadership and vision. He said that of the 122–123 million forcibly displaced people globally, 3% are Nigerians, with around 400,000 Nigerian refugees in neighbouring countries due to insurgencies in the northeast and instability in the northwest.
“We are immensely grateful for your leadership, which is recognised not only in Nigeria and West Africa, but also at our headquarters in Geneva,” Jain said. “We are here to thank you and to listen to see how we can deepen our support and collaboration.”
