Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has announced the launch of a €61 million (approximately ₦79.6 billion) United Nations peacebuilding initiative aimed at consolidating peaceful coexistence and supporting the state’s recovery efforts over the next two years.
Zulum disclosed this while briefing journalists shortly after the fourth UN Offer Board and Peacebuilding Fund Steering Committee (PFSC) meeting held at the Government House, Maiduguri.
He said the meeting was convened to formally conclude the first phase of the programme, which received significant support from the governments of Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other development partners over the past two years.
According to him, the funds were deployed to peacebuilding activities across the state, adding that the successful implementation of the first phase informed the decision to commence a new and expanded intervention.
“Another new phase of the UN offer has also been launched, amounting to about €61 million, which should be spent within the next two years,” he said.
Zulum added that Germany had already contributed about €10 million to the new basket fund, expressing optimism that the United Kingdom, Switzerland and other partners would make additional contributions.
He said the Borno State Government would also contribute to the basket fund to demonstrate its ownership of the programme and support its implementation.
The governor commended the UN Resident Coordinator, the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other development partners for their continued support for peacebuilding efforts in the state.
He particularly thanked the governments of Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland for their contributions, noting that sustained international partnerships remained critical to rebuilding communities affected by insurgency and promoting durable peace in Borno State.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, lauded Borno’s multi-partner coordination framework as a model that could be replicated across Nigeria and other countries facing similar humanitarian and development challenges.
He said the Borno model provided a unified funding mechanism and shared understanding among the government, the United Nations and development partners to address the state’s post-insurgency recovery needs in a more coordinated and sustainable manner.
The Chargé d’Affaires of Germany to Nigeria, Johannes Lehne, announced that the German government would commit another €10 million towards the implementation of the project.
“We had a very successful meeting on the implementation of the Borno law model. Germany will commit another €10 million to this endeavour for the next two years, and we hope under the leadership of the governor and the government of Nigeria this will be a big success and bring peace and prosperity to Borno State,” Lehne said.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohammed Fall, said all stakeholders were working together to address the challenges confronting Borno and the wider region in a coordinated manner.
“We cannot be successful unless we have the leadership and the vision we want, and this has been demonstrated by the Honourable Minister of Budget and Planning. It has been demonstrated almost on a day-to-day basis by His Excellency the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum,” Fall stated.
