Katsina: More than 270,000 persons were displaced by banditry, communal clashes, herder-farmer conflicts, floods and desertification in Katsina State.
This was disclosed in Katsina on Tuesday by Mr Abubakar Imam, the Academic Liaison for the Solid Solution for Internally Displaced People, a project by the UNDP.
Imam disclosed this while presenting a highlight at a town-hall meeting on IDP policy and the State Action Plan.
According to the Imam, the situation has affected 36,288 households across the state, with Batsari, Faskari, Kankara, Danmusa, and Sabuwa Local Government Areas (LGAs) identified as hotspot areas.
He added that most of the IDPs live in informal host community settings without access to proper shelter, food security, education, or healthcare.
The Imam said that the project’s vision was a peaceful, resilient, and inclusive Katsina where IDPs could return, integrate, or relocate safely, with access to livelihoods, services, and protection.
According to him, the project focuses on providing 2,389 housing units with gender-sensitive designs, 10 primary healthcare facilities, and WASH and solar power facilities.
Other areas, he mentioned, included the provision of 63 basic schools, with inclusive facilities, vocational training, farm inputs and grants, among other things.
In his remarks, Gov. Dikko Radda, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Faruq Jobe, stated that with the policy document, Katsina became the first state to domesticate the National Policy on IDPs formally.
He stated that the state government consistently emphasises security issues; hence, the validation of the policy on IDPs and the State Action Plan on Durable Solutions was historic.
According to him, the policy offers a structured and rights-based approach to prevent displacement, to protect those already displaced, and ensure access to durable solutions.
“This policy is a direct response to the displacement crisis that has affected many communities across our state.
“Armed conflict, banditry, poverty, and climate shocks had all contributed to forcing families out of their homes, disrupting livelihoods, and placing enormous pressure on our host communities.
“We cannot look away. We must act and we have,” the Governor said.