German Foreign Minister Announces Strategy for Integrated Peace Engagement at UNDP Community in Northeast Nigeria

After examining the impact of Germany’s investment in securing the region, the Regional Stabilisation Facility is cited as a key sustainable solution to rebuilding former conflict zones and stabilising Northeast Nigeria

December 22, 2022

 

ABUJA - On December 18-20, 2022, German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Nigeria for dual purposes - to officially transfer ownership of all Benin Bronzes from German collections, and to visit Ngarannam, a newly-reconstructed community in Northeast Nigeria and part of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Regional Stabilisation Facility (RSF), which Germany is supporting to rebuild communities destroyed during the decade-long insurgency in the region. 

The Regional Stabilisation Facility - Nigeria window - led by the Government of Nigeria and the Borno State Government with support from UNDP and partners like Germany -  These efforts are designed to curb extremism by reversing recruitment of the community particularly youths through strengthening of the social contract between the government and its people that will ultimately lay the foundation to kick-start development in the community and surrounding areas.. Designed and developed from ruins, the Ngarannam village in Borno State is one of the RSF’s target communities, a viable proof of concept that needs to be scaled up to reach more communities in  Northeast Nigeria affected by the insurgency.

Germany’s support of the Stabilisation Facility - alongside support from the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Borno State Government, the European Union, Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom - has proven critical. Stabilising the area and bringing back a state of normalcy for lasting peace and security enables communities to be part of rebuilding and development, through a people-led and people-centred approach.

Speaking on the occasion to a group which included the Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Ms. Katja Keul, German Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ambassador Annett Günther, Chief of Staff to the German Foreign Minister, Ambassador Katharina Ahrendts, Director-General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peace Building and Humanitarian Assistance at the German Federal Foreign Office, Ambassador Deike Potzel, Director-General for Political Affairs at the German Federal Foreign Office, Ambassador Christian Buck, Deputy Spokesperson of the German Federal Foreign Office, Mr. Christian Wagner, and assembled community members of Ngarannam, the Governor of Borno State, H.E. Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, shared that stabilisation is an enabling pathway to ending the conflict, “Ngarannam and other RSF communities are a testament that Stabilisation works and is one of the non-kinetic interventions to addressing the challenges of the conflict. Government’s ownership of the process is crucial for stabilisation to be effective and in Borno State, the Government has been at the forefront of the initiative.” 


 

Ms. Katja Keul, German Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Left)

Centred on inclusion and responsiveness to community needs, the reconstruction strategies employed have emphasised security and prioritised rehabilitation and reintegration, ensuring efforts to empower community members with genuine ownership and pride – where individuals can recover with dignity and move out of dependency. Special attention was paid by the Borno State Government to female-headed households in the allocation of homes and the provision of livestock and grants, in order to ensure their economic empowerment and sustainable future.   

After touring the community and engaging with residents excited to return home and hopeful about a safe and stable future, Minister Baerbock announced that German foreign policy also means peace policy, and peace policy means thinking about security, education, healthcare and economic development as being interlinked.

During her visit, German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock shared that Germany can see how security in northeast Nigeria doesn’t just mean driving back terrorism, “For people here security also means them being able to rely on state structures, to once again place confidence in the police force, and to see a future for their children – thanks to education, healthcare and especially food security. As German Government, we have redesigned our stabilisation assistance accordingly – also based on lessons learned in Afghanistan – by integrating civilian instruments and security cooperation. Here in the region, we work together with UNDP to improve security together with healthcare services and economic development.

While in Nigeria, Minister Baerbock also met with her Nigerian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, and the Vice President of ECOWAS, Mr. Damtien Tchintchibidja to discuss German-Nigerian relations and regional security. UNDP’s Stabilisation Facility is a key part of Germany’s contribution to regional security efforts.

 

German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock

Speaking during the visit, Moncef Kartas, UNDP Nigeria Head of Stabilisation  emphasized that reconciliation and reintegration is essential to bringing an end to the conflict, “Security is a key priority in stabilisation because it determines people’s access to services. It has helped bring basic rights back to the people with 72% of households reporting an overall feeling of improved security and 89% reporting satisfaction with the federal government in providing stabilisation support.”

Note to Editors

About the Regional Stabilisation Facility: The Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) is a financing facility developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom (U.K.), the Netherlands and the European Union (E.U.), to facilitate the implementation of the Regional Strategy for the Stabilisation, Recovery & Resilience of the Boko Haram-affected Areas of the Lake Chad Basin (RSS) of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC). The RSS seeks to restore security and bring relief to communities affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. Under the Regional Stabilisation Facility initiative, UNDP in Nigeria is currently supporting the rebuilding of six communities across Northeastern Nigeria in three (3) states - Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Read more about the Regional Stabilisation facility here:

https://www.undp.org/africa/publications/regional-stabilisation-facility-lake-chad-basin

 

About UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustices of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in over 170 countries, UNDP helps nations to build integrated and lasting solutions for people and the planet.

 In Nigeria, UNDP provides technical and policy development support to the Federal Government of Nigeria and supports the implementation of interventions across various thematic areas to meet the medium to long-term national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more: https://www.undp.org/nigeria

 

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Contacts

Christabel Chanda - Ginsberg                                      Ngele Ali                                         

Public Engagement, Outreach & Partnership Lead      Regional Communications Advisor, Africa

christabel.chanda-ginsberg@undp.org                         ngele.ali@undp.org