BY JULIET EKWENUGO, Kaduna
A Kaduna-based humanitarian and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) advocate, Comrade Adams Sule, has urged Governor Uba Sani to prioritise the resettlement, rehabilitation and livelihood recovery of displaced families in the State.
Sule made the appeal during an interview with journalists to mark the 2026 International Day of Peace, with the theme, “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
According to him, peace for IDPs goes beyond the absence of gunshots, as it also means having access to safe homes, food, education, livelihoods, healthcare and the opportunity to return to their communities with dignity.
Sule said many displaced persons had lost their homes, loved ones, farmlands and sources of livelihood as a result of insecurity, stressing the need for greater attention to their recovery.
“These are not merely statistics. They are farmers, parents, widows, orphans, students, youths and hardworking citizens who lost their homes, loved ones, farmlands and sources of income because of insecurity,” he said.
He noted that people who previously depended on farming often faced difficulties surviving in towns and camps, with some forced to venture into surrounding bushes and unsafe areas in search of firewood, food, farming opportunities and other means of survival.
According to him, such circumstances could expose them to further risks, including kidnapping and violence.
Sule called for sustainable livelihood programmes, scholarships and educational support for displaced children, particularly orphans, as well as empowerment programmes for women and youths.
He also sought vocational training, healthcare, food security and shelter for displaced families, alongside support for agriculture and access to safe farmland.
The advocate further called for psychosocial and humanitarian assistance for families affected by displacement and stronger collaboration among government, security agencies, NGOs and communities.
He said the long-term objective should be to create conditions that would allow displaced persons to return safely to their communities rather than remain in camps indefinitely.
“Our ultimate desire is not for IDPs to remain in camps forever. Our greatest wish is to see insecurity brought to an end, communities made safe, and displaced families supported to return home safely and rebuild their lives,” he said.
Sule also called for housing and community reconstruction as part of efforts to restore the livelihoods and dignity of communities affected by insecurity.
He urged Nigerians and the international community to translate calls for peace into practical investments in people affected by conflict and displacement.
Sule, however, called on the Federal Government, Kaduna State Government, humanitarian organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), development partners, philanthropists and faith-based organisations to support programmes aimed at rebuilding the lives of people displaced by insecurity.
