ASATTAHIR International Foundation (AIF) took part in the stakeholders engagement workshop organized by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Gusau, Zamfara state. The workshop took place on Thursday, 14th March, 2024.
In his welcome address, the Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees of ASATTAHIR International Foundation, Aliyu Sidi Attahiru thanked all the stakeholders in attendance for coming. He noted that AIF is a humanitarian and social development platform that seeks to compliment the efforts of Zamfara state government in responding to the needs of displaced persons, OVCs, and vulnerable groups through partnerships and collaborations with key actors in the sector.
He further thanked DRC for rolling out emergency response mechanisms to assist affected communities in Zamfara state recover from the economically and mentally traumatizing experiences. He also expressed optimism that the stakeholders workshop would birth effective recommendations and modalities for a coordinated humanitarian response to IDPs in Zamfara state.
In his opening remarks, on behalf of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Mr. Samson Peter Ayok stated that DRC is a humanitarian organization founded in Denmark in the year 1956 and works in over 40 countries across the world. He added that DRC has been operating in northeastern Nigeria for a couple of years particularly in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states where it has been providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable population and conflict affected communities, including IDPs and refugees.
He noted that DRC is now expanding to the northwest due to the increasing displacements and the rising needs for humanitarian interventions in the region. He recalled the success DRC recorded in Sokoto state through AIF and hoped that all stakeholders in Zamfara will equally prioritize swift response to the basic needs of displaced persons in the state. He therefore concluded by stating that the workshop was designed to enable proper engagement with key stakeholders in the state in the planning and decision making process which is crucial for ensuring that assistance efforts are culturally appropriate, sensitive to local needs, and accepted by the community.
Similarly, In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of AIF Prof. Yahaya Tanko Baba lamented the disturbing situation the global economic hardship, climate change and insecurity has exposed women, children and the elderly into. He noted that deliberate actions need to be taken to respond to not just the basic but also long term humanitarian needs of the affected population.
In his remarks, the Acting Permanent Secretary Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Relief Matters Zamfara state Mal. Mohammad Bashar Abubakar thanked DRC and AIF for collaborating with the state government in their partnership. He thereby congratulated AIF for successfully meeting the requirements for registration and vetting processes with the state government and assured of the Ministry’s support at all times.
In a related development, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Budget and Planning Zamfara state, Yazid Attahiru and Director international corporation, Harira Bello Dango warmly welcomed DRC and AIF to the state believing that the interventions and collaboration with the state will uplift the general well-being of the people in need of humanitarian assistance particularly displaced women and children.
Similarly, the Director Disaster Management and Control of Zamfara Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA) Hassan Dauran expressed excitement with the coming in of DRC and AIF to Zamfara to compliment the efforts of the government.
Stakeholders that attended the workshop include the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, the State Security Service, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Relief Matters, Zamfara Emergency Management Agency ( ZEMA) Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftency Affairs and International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The workshop created a common ground where the stakeholders shared insights, and suggestions for improving collaboration and coordinated response for effective interventions in Zamfara state.
While thanking the stakeholders for their active participation and contributions during the workshop, the Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees of ASATTAHIR International Foundation reiterated the Foundation’s commitment to support the government and collaborate with development partners in responding to the humanitarian needs of vulnerable groups in the state. After the closing prayer, the workshop ended with a group photograph.
