World Bank Approves $300m to Address Northern Nigeria’s Displacement Crisis

The World Bank has greenlit a $300 million financing package to tackle Northern Nigeria’s protracted displacement crisis, which has displaced over 3.5 million people due to conflict and insecurity.

Announced on August 7, the funding will support the Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project (SOLID), designed to improve access to essential services and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for displaced populations and their host communities.

Task Team Leaders Fuad Malkawi and Christopher Johnson emphasized the project’s significance, stating, “This initiative addresses critical infrastructure gaps and service delivery challenges in host communities already strained before the displacement influx. It will provide targeted economic support to foster long-term stability.”

Unlike previous emergency-focused efforts, SOLID adopts a development-driven approach, building on the earlier Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP).

The new program will prioritize climate-resilient infrastructure, economic empowerment, and institutional strengthening while promoting social cohesion through community-led solutions.

The World Bank estimates the project will directly benefit 7.4 million people, including 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Nigeria’s Country Director, Mathew Verghis, expressed optimism, calling it “a sustainable pathway to addressing displacement-related development challenges.”

Northern Nigeria’s instability—fueled by insurgency, weak governance, and climate pressures—has overwhelmed local infrastructure and services. SOLID aims to ease these strains through investments in roads, water systems, schools, and healthcare, alongside economic programs fostering self-reliance. Success hinges on coordinated efforts between governments, development partners, and affected communities.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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