Stakeholders have urged Nigeria’s private sector to shift its approach to the country’s growing internally displaced persons (IDPs) crisis by embracing investment-driven solutions capable of transforming displaced populations into productive contributors to national economic growth.
The call was made during a high-level engagement convened in Abuja by the Amahoro Coalition, where policymakers, agribusiness leaders and development partners advocated moving beyond humanitarian relief towards sustainable investments that integrate displaced persons into productive sectors, particularly agriculture and its value chains.
Speaking at the forum, the Strategy Custodian and Partnerships Lead of the Amahoro Coalition, Tito Mbaithi, said internally displaced persons should no longer be viewed solely as recipients of humanitarian assistance but as a resilient and skilled workforce with significant economic potential.
According to Mbaithi, displaced populations across Africa already contribute billions of dollars annually to the continent’s economy, while Nigeria—despite facing one of Africa’s largest displacement crises—has yet to harness the immense opportunities within its displaced communities.
He stressed that the national conversation on displacement must evolve from emergency response and charity to deliberate strategies that unlock productivity, generate employment and build inclusive economic systems that benefit both host communities and displaced populations.
Mbaithi disclosed that research by the coalition identified agriculture, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, finance and supply chain industries as key sectors where strategic investments and partnerships could successfully integrate displaced persons into the economy.
He noted that northern Nigeria, which remains both the country’s agricultural hub and one of the regions most affected by displacement, presents enormous opportunities for inclusive investment. Many displaced persons, he said, are experienced farmers and entrepreneurs with generations of agricultural expertise but remain excluded from formal economic activities.
President of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Kabiru Ibrahim, described the investment-focused approach to displacement as an opportunity to address humanitarian challenges while stimulating economic growth.
He said replacing dependency with productive engagement would restore dignity to displaced persons, strengthen national resilience and open new opportunities for agricultural expansion and private sector development.
Also speaking, Group Head of Strategic Partnerships at TGI Group, Habiba Suleiman, said displacement has become one of the defining realities of the modern era and requires long-term, inclusive solutions.
She emphasized that displaced populations constitute valuable human capital whose knowledge, skills and capacities should be intentionally integrated into existing economic systems rather than left on the margins of development.
The renewed call for greater private sector involvement comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with a worsening displacement crisis driven by insurgency in the North-East, banditry, communal conflicts and climate-related disasters, which have displaced millions of people and placed increasing pressure on humanitarian resources.
Participants agreed that integrating displacement-affected communities into productive economic activities could boost agricultural production, create employment opportunities and enhance social stability.
They maintained that with the right investments and partnerships, Nigeria’s displacement challenge could be transformed into an opportunity for inclusive growth, economic renewal and sustainable national development.
The consensus at the forum was clear: Nigeria’s internally displaced persons should be recognised not as a humanitarian burden but as a strategic economic asset capable of making meaningful contributions to the country’s long-term prosperity.
