The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has distributed food palliatives to people in seven states of the federation, including the FCT.
The states are Benue, Kwara, Borno, Zamfara, Katsina and Cross River, according to the Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI, Sen. Basheer Mohammed.
Mohammed was speaking at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja to commemorate the 2020 edition of the Annual National Migration Dialogue.
The theme of the event is: “Providing Protection and Assistance to Migrants During and Post-pandemic: Strategies and Actions”.
Mohammed said that the plight of Persons of Concern (PoS) was causing him much concern, heart-ache and sleepless nights.
The commissioner said the development was the reason why at the peak of the lockdown, the commission worked day and night to ensure that vulnerable people in the country were taken care of by the commission.
The commissioner said that the commission ensured that national food drives were held across the country, to ease the burden of accessing food for PoS.
Mohammed said that the commission would ensure that existing mechanisms that would foster access to health care, human rights and social protection for migrants in Nigeria were looked into.
“COVID-19 has impacted the global health of citizens across the world, impacted on the economy and on social interactions occasioned by the lockdown.
“The fact remains that the most impacted people have been our PoCs, of which migrants make up a huge number.
“So it is only appropriate that going forward, we discuss and come up with strategies on how to address issues concerning migrants in Nigeria.
“It is for this singular reason that conversations this year will be centered on PoCs.”
He listed other assistance given to the PoCs during the lockdown as drugs, hygiene items and surgical face masks, assuring that the commission would continue to provide necessary assistance to PoCs nationwide. (NAN)
