Reflection meeting on UNDP's crisis offer

It is with great pleasure and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today at this Joint Bilateral Reflection Meeting convened by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Let me begin by expressing my profound gratitude to the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Crisis Bureau, Ms. Shoko Noda, for her visit to Nigeria and for the continued interest of UNDP in supporting our collective quest for peace, resilience, and sustainable development, particularly in the North West and North Central regions.

I also commend the UNDP Nigeria Country Office for its unwavering commitment to partnering with our governments in addressing the multifaceted crises confronting our people from insecurity and displacement to poverty and climate-induced vulnerabilities.

As many of us here know too well, the North West region and Katsina State in particular has faced persistent challenges arising from banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, and related socio-economic dislocations. These crises have displaced thousands of families, disrupted livelihoods, and strained the social fabric of our communities.

The humanitarian toll is immense, but equally concerning is the erosion of trust in public institutions and the widening gap between communities and governance structures.

Yet, despite these daunting challenges, our people remain resilient. They are eager to rebuild their lives, restore their dignity, and contribute meaningfully to peace and development.

In Katsina State, our administration has adopted a comprehensive and people-centered approach to crisis response and recovery. Our key interventions include:

• The Katsina Community Watch Corps, which enhances local security through intelligence-sharing and community participation.
• The Agricultural Mechanization Programme, designed to restore livelihoods for farmers affected by insecurity, while promoting climate-smart agriculture.
• The Katsina Youth Empowerment and Livelihood Scheme, targeting young people in vulnerable communities with skills training, entrepreneurship support, and psychosocial counseling.
• Partnerships with humanitarian actors to provide shelter, education, and healthcare for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially women and children.

We have also established a State Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee, working closely with traditional rulers, civil society, and security agencies to mediate disputes and prevent escalation of violence.

However, Your Excellency, we recognize that no single state can tackle these challenges alone. The scale and complexity of the crisis demand a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach. This is why we welcome this meeting with such enthusiasm.

UNDP’s strategic support has been instrumental in promoting stabilization and resilience-building efforts in our region. Through its Crisis Prevention and Recovery programming, UNDP has helped strengthen institutional capacity, empower local governance structures, and pilot innovative livelihood interventions. We seek your guidance and support to:

• Consolidate and Scale Up Interventions: We need your help to identify, adapt, and implement best practices from other conflict-affected contexts that can be tailored to our unique socio-cultural and political landscape.
• Strengthen Data and Monitoring: Robust data is the lifeblood of effective policy. We request your partnership in developing a unified, real-time monitoring system for IDP movements, needs, and outcomes across our states.
• Catalyze Investment: We urge the UNDP to leverage its influence to attract private sector investment into our region, particularly in agriculture, renewable energy, and small and medium enterprises, creating jobs and economic opportunities that will anchor people back to their communities.
• Build Institutional Capacity: We invite the UNDP to support us in training our local government officials, civil servants, and community leaders in crisis management, conflict resolution, and participatory governance.

I therefore call on the UNDP and other development partners to continue expanding their footprint in the North West not just through humanitarian assistance, but through transformative investments that rebuild livelihoods, strengthen governance, and restore hope.

Katsina State stands ready to deepen collaboration with UNDP and our neighboring states in driving this shared vision of peace, security, and inclusive development.

In closing, let me reiterate that while crises may define our present challenges, resilience must define our collective response. Together, through partnership, innovation, and inclusive governance, we can transform the narrative of our region from one of fragility to one of strength and opportunity.

Once again, I thank the United Nations Development Programme for convening this important dialogue and for its steadfast commitment to the people of Nigeria.

May this meeting yield practical outcomes that will make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

Thank you, and God bless you all.