Governor Zulum Announces €61m UN Peacebuilding Programme

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has announced the launch of a new €61 million United Nations Peacebuilding Fund Programme to consolidate peace and support recovery efforts in the state over the next two years.

Governor Zulum disclosed this while briefing journalists after the fourth UN Offer Board and Peacebuilding Fund Steering Committee meeting held at the Government House, Maiduguri.

The governor said the meeting formally marked the conclusion of the first phase of the programme, which received support from Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other development partners over the past two years.

He said the funds were used to implement peacebuilding activities across Borno, adding that the success of the first phase informed the decision to launch a new and expanded intervention.

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“Another new phase of the UN offer has also been launched, amounting to about 61 million euro, which should be spent within the next two years,” the governor said.

According to him, Germany has already pledged about €10 million to the new basket fund, while he expressed optimism that the United Kingdom, Switzerland and other partners would make further contributions.

Governor Zulum also said the state government would contribute to the basket fund to demonstrate its ownership of the programme and support its effective implementation.

The governor commended the UN resident coordinator, the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other development partners for their continued support for peacebuilding and recovery in the state.

He particularly appreciated the governments of Germany, the UK and Switzerland for their contributions, stressing that sustained international partnerships remained critical to rebuilding communities affected by insurgency and achieving lasting peace in the state.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, described the state’s multi-partner coordination framework as a model that could be replicated across Nigeria and in other countries facing similar humanitarian and development challenges.

Bagudu said the framework provides a unified funding mechanism and a shared understanding among government, the United Nations and development partners, enabling stakeholders to address Borno State’s post-insurgency recovery needs in a coordinated and sustainable manner.

Also speaking, the Chargé d’Affaires of Germany to Nigeria, Johannes Lehne, announced that the German government would contribute another €10 million to the implementation of the programme.

“We had a very successful meeting on the implementation of the Borno model. Germany will commit another 10 million Euros to this endeavour for the next two years, and we hope under the leadership of the governor and the government of Nigeria this will be a big success and bring peace and prosperity to Borno State,” Lehne said.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohammed Malick Fall, said stakeholders were working together to address the challenges confronting Borno and the wider region through coordinated interventions.

Fall said effective implementation would require strong leadership and vision, noting that these had been demonstrated by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and Governor Zulum.

He said the renewed partnership would strengthen ongoing efforts to promote peace, recovery and sustainable development in Borno State.