By Ndahi Marama

Maiduguri—The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, has, in partnership with American University of Nigeria, AUN, trained about 11,652 people, mostly returnee internally-displaced persons, IDPs, in the North-East states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, between January and November.

This is even as UNHCR, in collaboration with Borno State government and National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, presented empowerment packages and cash donation of N60 million to 800 graduands IDPs, returnees and those living in host communities in cooperatives of 10 highly-affected local government areas of Borno as livelihood interventions.

Head of Field Officer, UNHCR, Mr. Cesar Tshilombo, disclosed this while welcoming the beneficiaries and participants during the graduation and presentation of starter kits ceremony in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday.

In his vote of thanks, Borno State government, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Administration, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr. Abubakar Hassan, on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked UNHCR, AUN and other humanitarian agencies in managing the plights of IDPs in the state.

He said the gesture will go a long way in repositioning displaced victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the region, adding that government was doing everything possible in its reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement move of millions of IDPs.