Thursday June 19, 2025|
United Nations Agency, UNHCR, has scored Akwa Ibom State Government high in Refugee integration in Nigeria, using the Social Register and Health Insurance Scheme as parameters.
This was nade known by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, Calabar-field Office representative, Mr. Richard Effiong, during an Inter-Ministerial/UNHCR One-stop Centre Stateholders Meeting held yesterday at the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat Complex, Uyo.
Effiong, who was briefing stakeholders on the operations of UNHCR in Nigeria said, Akwa Ibom State Government is leading other states of the federation in the integration processes of refugees and listed the inclusion of refugees in the Social Register of the State as well as in the Health Insurance Scheme of government as very critical pointers.
To this end, over One Thousand, Two Hundred (1200) Refugees have been included in the Social Register of the State while government has opened a One-Stop Centre in the Ministry of Trade and Investment, to serve as a data bank, resource centre and easy access to profiling of refugees in the state in consonance with the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.
In addition to these, all inter-ministerial responsibilities of relevant coordinating establishments in the state, in furtherance of integration of Refugees have been effectively discharged as enshrined in the UN Convention on Refugees.
UNHCR therefore expressed deep appreciation to the Office of the Deputy Governor, the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Hummanitarian Services and Ministry of Culture and Tourism for their commendable partnership which has made the integration of refugees in Akwa Ibom State very seamless.
He reiterated that, Refugees need employment, skills and means of livelihood and called on all stakeholders to come out with plans of action to further the cause of integration of refugees in the state towards supporting the strides of the Governor Umo Eno-led administration for refugees in the State.
Earlier, the Programme manager of SEMA in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Isaac Umanah had said the meeting was organized to design ways of collaboration with stakeholders for sustainable actions for the well-being of refugees in the State.
He said Refugees deserve no stigmatization as they are victims of civil unrests and other natural disasters that displaced them from their original abode to their new locations and therefore should be seamlessly integration in our communities and provided with means of livelihood.
Other stakeholders who spoke glowingly of Akwa Ibom State Government in respect to refugees integration as well as on the history of Cameroonian refugees in Akwa Ibom State included the South/South Zonal Director, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) Mr. Innocent Efioge and Mr. David Kusuv of Partners initiatives in Refugees integration in Nigeria, among others.
The meeting which drew participants from relevant government agencies, the organized Private Sector and the Zenith Bank was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Trade and Investment, Dr. Stephen Effiong, Permanent Secretary, Hummanitarian Services, Mrs. Eno Akpan and Permanent Secretary, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Grace Akpan, among others.