Consortium partners implementing the Improving Delivery of Assistance and Solutions to Internally Displaced Persons in Benue State (IDEAS) Project, including Caritas Nigeria, Catholic Relief Services, CAFOD, Caritas Germany, and the Justice, Development, and Peace Commissions (JDPC) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Makurdi and Roman Catholic Diocese of Otukpo.
A strategic coordination and advocacy mission aimed at strengthening collaboration with the Benue State Government, reviewing project progress, and enhancing service delivery to internally displaced persons (IDPs). The consortium reported approximately 102% achievement against planned targets, demonstrating that the intervention remains on track.
The engagements took place in Makurdi, Benue State, including meetings at the JDPC office, a visit to the IDP camp in Makurdi, the primary project site, and advocacy meetings with state authorities.
To reinforce partnerships with government stakeholders, promote durable solutions for displaced populations, and ensure that consortium-supported interventions are integrated into the state’s broader development and humanitarian response framework.
The mission began with a progress review meeting at the JDPC office in Makurdi, where partners assessed implementation milestones and performance indicators. The team subsequently visited the IDP camp to observe living conditions firsthand and evaluate the tangible impact of the IDEAS Project on beneficiaries’ quality of life.
During a courtesy visit to the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, His Lordship, Most Rev. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe CMF, represented by the Vicar General (Pastoral), Very Rev. Fr. Moses Aondover Iorapuu, commended the Consortium’s commitment to empowering IDPs through sustainable, durable solutions that prepare them for safe and dignified return to their ancestral homes.
The mission concluded with a high-level advocacy engagement with the Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia. Key ministries and agencies, under the coordination of the Bureau for International Development and Cooperation, pledged their support to mainstream consortium-backed interventions into the state’s durable solutions strategy, further strengthening institutional ownership and long-term impact.
