FG Set To Reactivate Programme To Rehabilitate North-East

The Federal government is set to reactivate its rehabilitation programme for the North-East, designed to alleviate the human suffering generated by man-made and natural disasters in that region.

The Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this in Nasarawa State, as he flagged off the preparatory technical meeting and capacity-building workshop for the Project Team on the Programme.

Ngige, represented by the Director, Special Duties/Projects, Dr Martina Nwordu, stated that the programme, the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP), commenced in 2017, with the Ministry coming on board in 2019.

He noted that the implementation process of the Programme was stalled due to logistics and bureaucratic challenges, in addition to the restrictions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Minister, “the IBSDLEIP is one of the many responses by the federal government to the human suffering in the region and it is being implemented with the support of the African Development Bank, funded from a credit facility.

“The Programme has three main components of Service Delivery – with the Ministry of Labour handling the skills acquisition and upgrade sub-component; Economic Recovery component – with the Ministry handling the job creation and entrepreneurial development sub-component. and the Institutional Strengthening and Project Management component – with building capacities of Ministry of Labour for enforcement and monitoring of private employment agencies’ regulation, as the sub-component of focus for the Ministry.”

He pointed out that the North-East zone, comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Raraba, and Yobe states, had been under severe and lingering man-made and natural disasters that had led to an unprecedented increase in poverty and misery in that region, as well as loss of jobs and sustainable means of livelihood , especially among the young persons.

He stated that the Ministry was pleased “to reactivate the programme to pursue the noble objectives of recovery, rebuilding and rehabilitation of the North East states.”

Ngige explained that the capacity-building was organised to introduce the Project team to the operational principles and guidelines for the implementation of the IBSDLEIP, as provided by the African Development Bank.

Present at the meeting/capacity-building were representatives of the North East Recovery and Stabilization Programme (NERSP) of the North East Develo0ment Commission (NEDC), as well as a team from the African Development Bank (AfDP) who joined virtually.