UNDP, Zamfara adopt durable solutions for displaced communities

The Zamfara State Government has launched the Internally Displaced Persons Policy and State Action Plan (SAP) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Governor Dauda Lawal, who disclosed this, said the move aims to tackle mass displacement across the state.

Zamfara is one of the states that continues to face some of the most significant displacement challenges in the North-West.

The scale and protracted nature of these crises highlight the urgent need for coordinated development-oriented solutions.

The SAP on Durable Solutions was developed to address this need.

They serve as comprehensive, government-led frameworks that move beyond short-term humanitarian relief toward long-term recovery, resilience-building, and sustainable reintegration.

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Zamfara State’s SAP outlines a strategic and operational approach to restoring stability, dignity, and opportunity for IDPs, returnees, and host communities.

It also emphasises a transition from emergency assistance to coordinated, long-term recovery, with priorities in security, social cohesion, economic revitalisation, and governance strengthening, a statement from the UNDP said.

Speaking at the launch, Governor Lawal said, “The policy affirms something fundamental beyond recovery, it reflects that displacement must never be permanent, and by states working together we can take regional accountability and benefit from learning, as we strive to achieve sustained, durable solutions.”

He reaffirmed the state's commitment under his leadership by making it clear that: “In Zamfara State, displacement will be a chapter we close and not a condition we will accept.”

In her remarks, UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, highlighted the significance of addressing displacement as a factor affecting development and the direct linkages.

“We have learned that displacement does not have to define a community’s future. With strong systems, effective coordination, and predictable financing, it is possible to move from crisis toward opportunity, from uncertainty toward stability.”