Stakeholders advocate private sector solutions for Nigeria’s IDP Crisis

Ubon Udoh, managing director and CEO of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative for Africa (ASR Africa), has called for a decisive shift towards local innovation and strategic private sector partnerships to address Nigeria’s internal displacement crisis.

Speaking at a high-level summit, he emphasised that leveraging home-grown technology is the key to transitioning from temporary relief to sustainable economic stability.

The conference, themed “Securing Futures: Private Sector and Data-Led Strategies for Durable Solutions,” was hosted by the federal government of Nigeria and the United Nations, in collaboration with UK International Development and the TGI Group.

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The event convened policymakers and business leaders to establish a new roadmap for Nigeria’s millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

A vision for local ingenuity Ubon Udoh asserted that Africa already possesses the necessary intellectual and technological resources to solve its own challenges.

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He argued that the nation must move beyond the cycle of humanitarian aid toward a “business-unusual” approach built on transparent data and private sector integration.

“For Nigeria or for Africa to emerge into the Africa we want, we have to look inwards,” Udoh said. “There is knowledge in the house; there is technology in the house. Our vision must be founded on our ability to create, nurture, and sustain strategic partnerships that amplify our impact.”

The Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, a Professor and minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, reinforced this sentiment by highlighting the vital importance of the “Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus.” He maintained that aggressive poverty reduction is the most effective shield against recurring humanitarian crises.

Goshwe positioned his Ministry as the convening authority designed to synchronize the efforts of NGOs, development partners, and the private sector. He issued a firm challenge to corporate leaders to move past mere rhetoric.

“We don’t just wish for expressions of interest,” the minister remarked. “We are looking for a real commitment to begin piloting initiatives. The government is here to lead and to support.”

To ensure accountability, the minister set a deadline of 6 to 12 months for the launch of concrete pilot initiatives.

The data imperative: From “Statistics” to “People” A recurring theme of the summit was the historic lack of granular data, which has long frustrated long-term planning. Tayo Aduloju, CEO of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), noted that since 2022, the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has included an IDP dimension, marking a paradigm shift in how displacement is understood.

“What is leading in terms of the deprivations? What should come first?” We need to ensure data is as transparent and visible as possible. We can’t design without data. We need non-negotiable minimum packages that arrive every day, every year, alongside longer-term infrastructural solutions like resettlement cities.”

Read also: U.S. donates $32.5m for food, nutrition aid to 764,000 displaced persons in Nigeria

Security as the economic bottom line Stakeholders agreed that private investment cannot thrive in a vacuum of instability. Aduloju proposed a “sector security planning” model to provide the safety guarantees necessary for capital influx.

This model rests on three essential pillars: Inter-agency coordination: Deep synergy between the Ministry of the Interior, the UN, and the private sector.

Resilient infrastructure: Integrating security components directly into the design of resettlement cities to protect agricultural and industrial hubs.

Boardroom confidence: Equipping CEOs with robust data to justify social investments to their boards and shareholders.

“Sector security planning is essentially the bottom line,” Aduloju stated. “It is time to be putting our defence organisations in the loop to manage vulnerabilities and resilience.”

Ngozi Ekugo is a Senior Correspondent at BusinessDay. She holds a Masters in management from the University of Lagos, an undergraduate from University of Lagos, and is in an alumni of Queen's College. Shes currently an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). She has a brief experience at Goldman sachs, London in its Human Capital Management division. She is interested in human capital development and is leveraging her varied experience across sectors to report labour and global mobility trends for stakeholders to make informed decisions.

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