The World Bank has approved $300 million (about ₦462 billion) to support Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their host communities in northern Nigeria under the new Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project (SOLID).
In a statement on Monday, the bank said the initiative aims to expand access to essential services, create economic opportunities, and strengthen resilience in selected local government areas affected by armed conflict, banditry, and communal violence.
More than 3.5 million people have been displaced in northern Nigeria, largely due to Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, escalating banditry in the North-West, and farmer–herder clashes in the Middle Belt. Many IDPs live in overcrowded camps or with host communities that struggle to absorb the sudden influx, facing shortages of clean water, healthcare, education, and sanitation. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence, exploitation, and early marriage.
The World Bank said the SOLID Project will build on earlier government and partner interventions, including the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, but with a stronger focus on long-term development. Key priorities include:
- Developing and maintaining climate-resilient infrastructure.
- Promoting social cohesion and community resilience through participatory planning and economic cooperatives.
- Supporting livelihoods to help both IDPs and residents start and sustain new economic activities.
- Strengthening institutions to manage demographic changes caused by forced displacement.
World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, said the integrated approach aligns with the National IDP Policy and Nigeria’s long-term development vision, aiming to shift displaced communities from humanitarian dependence to self-reliance.
“This project has tremendous potential to address the challenges of protracted displacement in a sustainable way and open up better economic opportunities,” Verghis said.
The bank estimates the project will benefit up to 7.4 million people, including 1.3 million IDPs, and will be implemented through a coordinated, community-driven approach involving all tiers of government and international partners.
Task Team Leaders for SOLID, Fuad Malkawi and Christopher Johnson, said the operation is “central to tackling the enduring displacement crisis in Northern Nigeria” and will help bridge the gap between emergency relief and long-term stability, resilience, and inclusive growth.
Despite ongoing government and humanitarian relief efforts, insecurity and funding gaps continue to hinder aid delivery and delay resettlement plans, as many communities remain unsafe or destroyed.
