The secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Gutteres, says the organisation will be mobilising an additional $321 million to support Nigeria’s efforts to combat terrorist activities in the North East.
The UN boss made this known while addressing State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.
“We are very active in support of the humanitarian efforts of the Nigerian government and that is why we have called for an additional $351 million as part of the overall $1.1 billion for the humanitarian response plan for Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Gutteres noted that the amount would be part of the overall $1.1billion earmarked by the UN for the humanitarian response plan for Nigeria.
He expressed the hope that the amount would also assist in addressing the humanitarian crisis in the affected region.
The visiting secretary-general, who arrived in Nigeria on a two-day visit, was in Maiduguri, Borno, the worst hit by the insurgency.
While in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Mr Gutteres interacted with victims of terrorist activities and repentant Islamist militants, saying from what he saw, “great hope lies ahead”.
The UN scribe lauded the Nigerian government for establishing the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of displaced persons in the North-East.
Mr Guterres disclosed that his meeting with Mr Buhari touched on how to address the challenges confronting Nigeria and the smooth conduct of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
He maintained that the spirit of hope amidst hardship and solidarity in the struggle was also at the centre of his discussions with the Nigerian leader.
He reiterated the commitment of the UN towards combatting terrorism, violent extremism, organised crime, poverty and food insecurity worldwide.