A renowned community based NGO in Borno State, Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, has received formal approval from the Borno Government to extend its humanitarian, human rights, and peace-building initiatives to Bama Local Government Area (LGA).
Bama LGA is one of the communities most affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
This development came on Monday when the foundation, led by its Executive Director, Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, paid an advocacy visit to the Borno Ministry for Local Government and Emirates Affairs in Maiduguri.
The affected Bama LGA, once a thriving commercial and cultural hub, suffered massive destruction to lives, property, and livelihoods during the peak of insurgent activities where human and economic activities were disrupted, leaving thousands of residents displaced and traumatized.
Before the new approval, the foundation renowned for its focus on women’s empowerment, human rights advocacy, and grassroots peace-building had concentrated its operations in four LGAs: Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere, Konduga, and Mafa.
Receiving the foundation’s delegation, the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirates Affairs, Sugun Mai Mele, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Modu Alhaji Mustapha, expressed appreciation for the organization’s dedication to addressing the plight of insurgency victims across the state.
He noted that the foundation’s work complements the Borno Government’s Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Reintegration (RRR) programme, which seeks to restore normalcy and rebuild conflict-affected communities.
In her remarks, Hajiya Hamsatu, said that the foundation currently coordinates 13 different network groups comprising more than 42,000 victims and survivors of the insurgency.
She said the groups include minors classified as “Invisible Children” – children born in captivity or affected by stigma as well as individuals undergoing de-radicalization and reintegration into society.
According to her, the advocacy visit to the ministry is part of a broader plan to expand the foundation’s peace-building and humanitarian activities to more conflict-affected communities across the state.
Based on the approval, residents of Bama can expect renewed support in the areas of psychosocial care, economic empowerment, and community dialogue interventions aimed at building a sustainable peace in the aftermath of over a decade of conflict in a project supported by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Integrated Security Fund (ISF), Nigeria Security and Regional Resilience (NiSRR) programme.
Highlight of the advocacy visit is presentation of the foundation’s publications to the Permanent Secretary by the Executive Director of the Foundation.
