N1.275bn IDP Fund: Benue SSG Details Spending on Cash Transfers, Resettlement, Health, Security

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The Secretary to the Benue State Government and Chairman of the Technical Committee on the Implementation of Donations for the IDP Community, Mrs Deborah Aber, has presented a detailed account of how the N1 billion donation by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, along with other contributions, was utilised to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the state.

Addressing journalists in Makurdi on Monday, Aber recalled that although Benue has faced years of violent attacks and displacement, the June assault on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area attracted nationwide attention.
She explained that the incident led to a visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who inspected the destruction and promised federal support to restore peace and ensure justice for victims. Subsequently, the First Lady led senior officials to the state and announced a N1 billion intervention to address the humanitarian crisis.
According to Aber, further donations were received from the Nasarawa State Government, which contributed N150 million; United Bank for Africa with N100 million; and the Director General of the Department of State Services, who donated N25 million. This brought the total fund to N1.275 billion.
She stated that Governor Hyacinth Alia set up a technical committee under her leadership to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of the funds. The committee was mandated to identify urgent needs among displaced persons and affected host communities.
Aber said consultations were conducted with IDP representatives across the state, resulting in the identification of priority areas such as food, shelter, healthcare, education, livelihoods, security, and long-term resettlement.
While the interventions covered affected communities throughout Benue, she noted that Yelewata was given priority as the donations were prompted by the attack there. She added that beneficiary mapping and data verification were carried out to ensure accurate targeting.
Under the food and nutrition component, coordinated by the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, food supplies were distributed statewide in December 2025. In addition, a cash transfer programme provided N50,000 each to 1,000 vulnerable households to boost livelihoods. Aber revealed that N56,325,000 was spent on cash transfers, with 90 per cent of beneficiaries already paid.
In the health sector, N112,250,000 was allocated for medical outreach and supplies. Furthermore, 5,833 IDPs were enrolled in the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme, with their premiums fully paid to grant them access to essential healthcare services.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects received N125,325,000. Aber disclosed that three boreholes were successfully drilled in Yelewata after earlier failed attempts, and water reticulation was extended approximately two kilometres to a new resettlement site. She also noted that a water treatment plant was completed in Naka, Gwer West LGA, in partnership with the European Union and implemented by the International Organization for Migration, ending decades of potable water scarcity in the area.
On shelter and resettlement, N28,900,000 was allocated for shelter support, while N277,350,000 was committed to resettlement initiatives, including the approval of 60 prototype homes for displaced families in Yelewata. Construction of 43 two-bedroom houses has commenced, with three already roofed. She appealed to partners to assist the state in building additional homes.
Security interventions accounted for N56,125,000 to improve safety in affected communities. Agriculture received N56,125,000 for farm inputs to help restore livelihoods, while N21,625,000 supported broader livelihood programmes. Host communities were allocated N127,500,000 to ease the strain on local infrastructure and services.
Education projects, including the construction of four classrooms in Yelewata, consumed N148,175,000. Another N16,000,000 funded peace and reconciliation efforts through the state’s Peace Commission, while N24,800,000 was set aside as a sustainability fund to ensure the continuity of support programmes.
Aber affirmed that the entire N1.275 billion has been strategically distributed across the identified sectors, stressing that the interventions were designed not only to provide immediate relief but also to restore dignity, rebuild communities, and promote long-term stability.
She encouraged members of the public to independently verify ongoing projects in Yelewata and other benefiting communities, assuring that the funds donated in response to the crisis are being transparently utilised to rebuild lives across Benue State.