Poverty, climate change fueling insecurity — VP Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has identified poverty and climate change as key drivers of insecurity and displacement across Nigeria, calling for deeper collaboration to tackle the country’s growing humanitarian challenges.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima emphasized the need for comprehensive and inclusive solutions that address the interconnected issues of migration, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation.

“There is an incestuous relationship between ecology and economy in sub-Saharan Africa,” Shettima said.

“You cannot divorce the challenges of migration from climate-induced effects. Even the crises in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central have direct links between poverty and violence.”

The Vice President urged the IOM to increase its support, particularly in Nigeria’s North-Central region, to foster unity and development.

He also called for stronger interventions in gender empowerment and land reclamation in areas impacted by deforestation and displacement.

Quoting civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Shettima stressed unity over division: “We must either learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to die together as fools.”

In response, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, commended the country’s strides in migration governance and disaster preparedness.

She highlighted the recent launch of the State Action Plan on Floods and a Framework for Anticipatory Action as notable milestones.

“Since arriving in Nigeria, I have seen the diversity and complexity across the states — it’s like one Africa in one country,” Dimanche said. She reaffirmed IOM’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts in climate resilience, youth empowerment, shelter provision, and durable solutions for crisis-affected communities.

Dimanche also proposed a new joint initiative with the Vice President’s office to mobilize resources and scale up sustainable development programs across the country.