World Bank approves $300m to aid IDPs, host communities in northern Nigeria

DDM News

(DDM) – The World Bank has approved a $300 million (about ₦462 billion) package to support Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their host communities in northern Nigeria under a new initiative named the Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project (SOLID).

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the project will target over 7 million people, including 1.3 million displaced individuals, to improve access to essential services, livelihood opportunities, and climate-resilient infrastructure in conflict-affected regions.

The IDP crisis in northern Nigeria remains one of the country’s most persistent humanitarian emergencies, driven largely by Boko Haram insurgency, escalating banditry, kidnappings, cattle rustling, and recurrent farmer–herder clashes.

For more than a decade, communities in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and parts of the Middle Belt have been repeatedly attacked, forcing millions to flee their homes and abandon their livelihoods.

In the North-west, rampant armed violence has worsened displacement, while in the Middle Belt, resource-based conflicts have deepened instability.

Many IDPs are crowded into makeshift camps or absorbed into host communities already struggling with poverty and underdeveloped infrastructure.

Humanitarian assessments reveal dire conditions in several camps, including shortages of clean water, inadequate healthcare, poor sanitation, and widespread malnutrition.

Children often lack access to education, and women and girls face increased risks of gender-based violence, exploitation, and early marriage.

According to the World Bank, the SOLID Project will adopt an integrated development strategy to promote self-sufficiency, reduce dependency on humanitarian aid, and build resilience among both displaced people and host communities.

The bank said the programme will focus on developing climate-resilient infrastructure, fostering social cohesion, and strengthening local governance capacity through participatory community planning.

It will also create economic cooperatives, support small businesses, and offer targeted livelihood assistance to help residents rebuild their economic foundations.

Speaking on Monday, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, said the project aligns with Nigeria’s National IDP Policy and long-term development goals.

He noted that the approach is designed to shift IDPs from aid dependency to sustainable self-reliance, opening pathways for better economic prospects.

Task Team Leaders for SOLID, Fuad Malkawi and Christopher Johnson, described the initiative as a crucial step towards bridging the gap between emergency humanitarian relief and long-term development in the region.

They stressed that the project will also address competition for scarce resources, which has often caused tensions between displaced people and host populations.

The World Bank further explained that SOLID builds on the earlier Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP), which focused on short-term emergency recovery.

The Nigerian government and international humanitarian agencies have been providing food, shelter, and medical aid to IDPs, but insecurity, logistical constraints, and funding gaps have limited the scope and sustainability of these efforts.

Resettlement and reintegration plans have also been delayed due to ongoing violence and the destruction of communities of origin.

By supporting resilience-focused infrastructure and livelihood initiatives, SOLID aims to help northern Nigeria move from crisis response to stability, inclusive growth, and long-term peacebuilding.

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