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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
In a bid to tackle flooding, President Bola Tinubu has voted US$250 million for a 10-year Climate-Resilient Livelihoods Empowerment Programme for Displaced Populations (CLEP4DPS).
Tinubu stated this during the Rabat Process and Climate-Induced Mobility event in Abuja.
The president, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said CLEP4DPS will focus on empowering displaced persons through climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy entrepreneurship, climate data and digital employment, green value chains, as well as dedicated leadership tracks for women and youth.
He added that the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s shift from emergency responses to long-term, people-centred solutions that strengthen resilience and preserve human dignity.
“He also announced the Climate-Resilient Livelihoods Empowerment Programme for Displaced Populations (CLEP4DPS), a 10-year, US$250 million initiative designed to empower displaced persons through climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy entrepreneurship, climate data employment, green value chains, and dedicated women and youth leadership tracks.
“The programme is built on the premise that economic empowerment is a critical form of climate adaptation.
“The Federal Government has supported targeted relief, resettlement, and recovery efforts for flood-affected families through coordinated cash and material assistance.
“Displaced families are being resettled into planned communities, such as the Resettlement City Project, with access to basic services and livelihood support, under the supervision of relevant humanitarian and emergency agencies,” he said.
The president said CLEP4DPS complements other initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including the Global Flood Disaster Management Project, which focuses on early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, disaster coordination and community engagement nationwide.
He referenced the 2022 floods that affected over 4.4 million people and displaced about 2.4 million across more than 30 states, alongside recurring floods that continue to strain host communities and infrastructure.
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He also called for stronger international cooperation, noting that climate-induced mobility is a transnational challenge that no country can tackle alone.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, explained that Nigeria has been the chair of the Rabat Process for years.
Represented by the National Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Aliyu Tijani Ahmed, Doro said the commission, being in charge of assistance, protection and support for displaced individuals, has taken action to ensure that Nigerians who have been displaced are taken care of.
“Today, I want to inform you that within the range of 2022 to date, we have more than 6.7 million Nigerians that have been displaced, but not only because of climate change, but other factors such as banditry, Boko Haram, and farmers–herders clashes.
“But the National Commission for Refugees are beginning to come up with durable solutions, to provide durable solutions for these displaced individuals.
“With the support of the Federal Government, particularly Mr President, who has been showing concern over the rate of displacement as a result of these factors I have earlier mentioned.
“The National Commission is taking the lead, and they are making necessary progress in ensuring that we provide comfortable accommodation, or developing a city for those displaced individuals.
“Not only the IDPs, but we also have Nigerians that have been displaced as a result of this climate change. We have not less than 140,000 Nigerians living in Cameroon, being displaced as a result of climate change. We also have some of them in Niger and the Chadian Republic.
“However, with these numbers, the Government of Nigeria is making effort to ensure that most of these that have left this country and became refugees elsewhere will be returned back to the country.
“As it is today, Nigeria, being led by the agency, are repatriating 3,500 individuals from Cameroon, and they are on their way back to the country between now and tomorrow. This is part of the effort the Federal Government is making, and also ensuring that those displaced are given support,” he added.
