By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
A delegation of United States Congressional staff led by Ms. Allison Cantrell and Ms. Angelle Kwemo visited Borno State.
The visit was undertaken in collaboration with the Nigerian Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), represented by Mr. Arjun Jain.
The team was received in Maiduguri on Monday by the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, who is also the Chairman of the Bama Reconstruction Committee, and Chairman of the State Sub-Committee on Repatriation.
He welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Borno State Government and later accompanied them to Banki town, a key border community in Bama Local Government Area.
In Banki, the delegation assessed several stabilization and recovery initiatives being implemented by the Borno State Government with support from international development partners.
These included an ongoing 450-unit housing project, a newly established vocational training centre, and a 200-hectare irrigation scheme aimed at promoting food security and livelihoods for returnees.
The Congressional staff engaged with returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to better understand the humanitarian situation on the ground, especially the growing concerns around donor fatigue and its impact on ongoing recovery efforts.
While in Maiduguri, the delegation also visited Girl Child Concerns Academy and El-Miskin IDP Camp, where they interacted with orphaned children and displaced families.
These engagements offered the visitors first-hand insights into the challenges faced by vulnerable groups in post-conflict communities and the continuing need for international solidarity and support.
