From Umar Dankano, Yola
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Nigeria has launched a new project aimed at strengthening community leadership, resilience and self-reliance among displaced and host populations in Adamawa and Borno states.
Speaking at the launch ceremony held in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, on Wednesday, JRS Nigeria Country Director, Fr. Temple Anuforo, said the project would support communities affected by conflict and displacement to strengthen protection systems, promote participation and build resilience.
Funded by the Basque Government, the two-year initiative is titled “Community Leadership and Resilience among Displaced and Host Populations in Borno and Adamawa.”
Anuforo said the project would place affected communities at the centre of humanitarian interventions by recognising their existing knowledge, leadership capacities and ability to respond to challenges.
“Communities affected by displacement are not simply recipients of assistance. They possess knowledge, strengths and leadership capacities that must be recognised and supported. This project seeks to walk alongside communities as they strengthen their own capacity to respond to challenges, protect their members and build more resilient futures,” he said.
The country director explained that the initiative would strengthen community structures, promote local leadership and encourage meaningful participation by displaced persons and host communities.
He said JRS would work with communities to identify their priorities, build local capacities and develop approaches to address the social and economic challenges associated with conflict and displacement.
According to Anuforo, the project builds on the organisation’s longstanding commitment to accompanying, serving and advocating alongside refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities.
He noted that sustainable solutions to displacement require more than humanitarian assistance, stressing the need to equip communities with the knowledge, skills, platforms and opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their lives.
Anuforo disclosed that JRS Nigeria had implemented two previous projects that reached 2,268 and 3,296 direct beneficiaries, respectively. The new initiative, he said, targets 8,810 beneficiaries across the two states.
The five benefiting local government areas are Girei, Michika and Mubi South in Adamawa State, as well as Biu and Askira/Uba in Borno State. The project is expected to run for two years.
Stakeholders and partner organisations at the ceremony commended JRS Nigeria for its contributions to addressing humanitarian challenges in northern Nigeria, where armed conflict, climate change and economic difficulties continue to affect residents, particularly IDPs and host communities.
The event was attended by representatives of relevant government institutions, humanitarian and development organisations, community leaders and other stakeholders from Adamawa and Borno states.