The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Governments of Benue and Adamawa States, convened a high-level Donor Coordination and Partnership Breakfast that brought together ambassadors, United Nations agencies, development partners, international financial institutions and private sector leaders to co-create innovative investment pitches capable of accelerating durable solutions for displaced populations across both states.
The engagement provided a strategic platform for governments and development partners to jointly design scalable interventions that transition communities from humanitarian dependence to resilience, recovery and inclusive economic growth.
Representing Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Secretary to the Government of Benue State (SSG), Barr. Deborah Serumun Aber, mni, delivered an outstanding presentation that positioned Benue as a reform-oriented government ready for large-scale international partnerships. She highlighted the state’s deliberate investments in durable solutions through institutional reforms, the establishment of a Functional Durable Solutions Task Force, domestication of the National IDP Policy, budgetary commitments, strategic land allocations for resettlement and productive livelihoods, and an enabling investment climate that provides confidence to development partners and investors alike.
Opening the engagement, IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission, Ms. Sharon Dimanche, reaffirmed IOM’s commitment to supporting government-led durable solutions and emphasized the importance of stronger partnerships between governments, development agencies, donors and the private sector in delivering sustainable outcomes for displaced populations. Her remarks reinforced IOM’s commitment to localisation, resilience-building and long-term recovery across Nigeria.
A major highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the Benue Resilience and Recovery Initiative (BRRI), developed through a co-creation process between Benue State and IOM. The initiative outlines ambitious investment opportunities across governance, economic recovery, agricultural value chains, livelihoods, shelter, WASH, peacebuilding and social cohesion, with initial implementation targeted in Guma, Gwer West and Makurdi, while providing a framework for expansion to other displacement-affected communities.
The Benue State Bureau for International Cooperation and Development (BICD), led by Director General Aondoaseer Leonard-Angelo Viashima, coordinated the state’s international engagement and presented Benue’s partnership architecture, demonstrating how the Bureau continues to serve as the Government’s gateway for international cooperation by aligning donor investments with state priorities, coordinating United Nations agencies, development partners and humanitarian actors, and facilitating strategic partnerships that deliver measurable development outcomes.
The private sector engagement was led by the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Investment Promotion Agency (BENIPA), Mr. Kpenkaan Terhemen Johnpaul, who steered discussions on unlocking private capital as a critical driver of durable solutions. He presented Benue’s investment opportunities and encouraged development finance institutions and private investors to complement humanitarian interventions with commercially sustainable investments capable of generating jobs, strengthening agricultural value chains and stimulating long-term economic recovery.
Development partners responded positively to the presentations, commending Benue State’s preparedness, policy reforms and institutional coordination. Several donor representatives welcomed the state’s investment-ready approach and expressed interest in further engagement around the BRRI, particularly in livelihood restoration, resilience programming, infrastructure development, peacebuilding and private sector collaboration.
The meeting further reinforced Benue State’s growing reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading sub-national governments in development cooperation. Through BICD, the state continues to deepen collaboration with IOM, UN agencies, bilateral partners and the private sector to transform displacement into opportunity while positioning Benue as a global destination for sustainable development partnerships.
The engagement concluded with a shared commitment by IOM, Benue State, Adamawa State and development partners to continue refining the co-created investment pitches and translating them into bankable programmes capable of attracting international financing and delivering lasting impact for vulnerable communities.
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