20/08/2025
ALIA HOSTS IOM DELEGATION, ANNOUNCES NEW HUMANITARIAN FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIP.
By Isaac Uzaan
Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Wednesday, August 20, 2025 played host to a high-level delegation from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), led by the Deputy Director General for Operations, Ms. Ugochi Daniels, and the Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Ms. Sylvia Ekra, in what has been described as a milestone visit to strengthen humanitarian response and durable solutions for displaced persons in Benue State.
Welcoming the delegation, at Old Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, Governor Alia expressed gratitude to IOM and its partners for their continued support to Benue state, which has been grappling with the impact of farmer-herder conflicts, climate change, and protracted displacement.
“By choosing to visit Benue, you have demonstrated that the plight of our people, especially those displaced by conflict, has not gone unnoticed. This visit is more than symbolic; it is a strong endorsement of the resilience of our communities and our collective commitment to rebuilding lives with dignity and hope,” the governor said.
Governor Alia commended IOM’s interventions in camp management, shelter construction, WASH facilities, protection, and data management, highlighting the introduction of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) as a game-changer in humanitarian coordination.
He announced the state’s contribution of $50,000 to IOM’s resilience campaign, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to return Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes and restore livelihoods.
The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s openness to deepen collaboration with IOM and other international partners in peacebuilding, climate change adaptation, agricultural value chains, and durable solutions for IDPs.
“In Benue, we are determined to transform vulnerability into resilience, displacement into opportunities, and crisis into hope,” the governor declared.
In her remarks, Ms. Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s Deputy Director General for Operations, expressed appreciation for the warm welcome and solidarity of the people of Benue State, announcing a new €1.1 million (1.7 billion naira) humanitarian funding package from the European Union and ECHO, to be jointly implemented by IOM, UNHCR, and UN-HABITAT.
“This engagement is more than a meeting, it is a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to those affected by crisis and a call to deepen our partnerships in pursuit of durable solutions and lasting peace,” Ms. Daniels said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sir James Iorpuu, hailed IOM’s impact since its operations began in the state in August 2023.
He noted achievements in biometric registration of IDPs, emergency shelters, camp coordination, safe water access, psychosocial support, and protection services, describing them as life-changing interventions that restored hope and dignity to displaced persons.
Gov Alia later accompanied the delegation to visit the IDP Mega Camp, where they inspected facilities and also interacted with IDPs in the camp.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Distinguished Humanitarian Award to IOM by the Secretary to the State Government, Deaconess Serumun Deborah Aber, on behalf of the government and people of Benue State.
She praised the organization’s dedication, collaboration, and lifesaving interventions, noting that the award was “not just a trophy, but a call to continue transforming lives and building pathways toward resilience and recovery.”
The event was attended by Ambassadors, Heads of Cooperation and Missions, representatives of UNICEF and UNHCR, senior government officials, humanitarian partners, and representatives of displaced persons.
Photo Credit: Lanshima Ephraim
