In March 2024, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), one of the partners operating in northwest Nigeria, reported that over 600,000 people had been displaced from their homes in the region. This displacement is attributed to a combination of extreme violence, worsening economic conditions, and the impacts of climate change.
Adding to this alarming picture, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), another key partner in the area, issued a press release emphasizing the severe humanitarian consequences of growing insecurity fueled by conflict between armed groups.
The lack of robust engagement from humanitarian actors and donors, coupled with the absence of formal UN recognition of the crisis, risks delaying critical responses and exacerbating the vulnerabilities of affected populations.
iMMAP Inc. meets with the leadership of Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) . © Omo Olubunmi, November 27, 2024
The Operational Response Plan (ORP) for the northwest region, covering August 2023 to December 2024, identifies critical needs across multiple sectors, including Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI), Education, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Nutrition, Protection, Health, and Site Management. It also underscores the importance of strengthening coordination mechanisms to ensure cohesive and effective responses among operating partners and stakeholders.
Quality information is pivotal to driving coordinated and impactful humanitarian action. Humanitarian actors rely on timely, accurate data to deliver efficient and effective responses.
Building on its extensive experience in providing information management (IM) support to partners in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states in northeast Nigeria, iMMAP Inc. is now extending its technical expertise to the northwest states of Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara. This expansion aims to enhance coordination and improve the effectiveness of humanitarian interventions in these crisis-affected states.
We are optimistic about this development. When successfully implemented, the humanitarian stakeholders in the region will benefit from the transformative impact of data and knowledge management for coordinating life-saving interventions."
Amr Osman, iMMAP Inc. Nigeria Country Representative.
As part of its kick-off activities, iMMAP Inc. conducted a mission to Sokoto State in November 2024. During the visit, the Nigeria Country Office team engaged with representatives from humanitarian organizations, the State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Safety, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. A significant milestone of the mission was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, formalizing the terms of engagement and collaboration.
The team briefed partners on planned activities and held consultations to address necessary formalities before project implementation.
Honorable Nasiru Garba Kalambaina, the SEMA Special Adviser to the Governor of Sokoto State, expressed enthusiasm for collaboration, stating:
We are happy that iMMAP Inc. has established a presence in northwest Nigeria. We assure you of SEMA’s readiness to cooperate with you, provide the necessary support, including sharing information to facilitate coordinated humanitarian action.”
iMMAP Inc. meets with the leadership of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto State. © iMMAP Inc. November 29, 2024
In addition to building partnerships with state entities, iMMAP Inc. established a relationship with Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto to strengthen IM capacity in the region.
Professor Bashiru Garba, Vice Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, affirmed the university’s commitment to collaboration, noting:
We are happy and willing to partner with iMMAP Inc. on IM capacity building and look forward to formalizing our engagement.”
This expansion of iMMAP Inc.’s presence in northwest Nigeria is made possible through the invaluable support of the American people through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. Their support enables iMMAP Inc. to provide essential IM assistance to partners across the country, fostering evidence-based humanitarian action.
Project Overview: Coordination, Information Management and Capacity Building Services in Support of Humanitarian Action in Nigeria
iMMAP Inc. provides humanitarian information management (IM) and capacity-building support to our partners involved in relief efforts in northeast and northwest Nigeria. Some of the partners include OCHA, sectors and areas of responsibility, working group members, the Borno State Agency for the Coordination of Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Response (BoACSDHR), the Adamawa State Planning Commission, and the Yobe state Information Technology Development Agency.
iMMAP Inc. also extends its support to academia through its Capacity Building and Internship Programs, working in partnership with the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in Borno State, the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa state, and the Yobe State University (YSU) in Damaturu, Yobe State.
More news & stories from Nigeria
iMMAP Inc. Convenes Stakeholders Workshop to Review Humanitarian Information Management Support in Nigeria
On October 10 and 11, 2024, iMMAP Inc. brought stakeholders together to review the support provided through the ‘Coordination, Information Management (IM), and Capacity Building Services in Support of Humanitarian Actions in Nigeria’ project implemented in the northeast region of the country, covering Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states in the 2023/2024 project cycle.
Facilitating System-wide Information Management Capacity Building for Evidence-based Humanitarian Action in Northeast Nigeria
iMMAP Inc. is making concerted efforts to advance the use of evidence-based decision-making, backed by strengthened technical capacities in information management (IM) across the crisis-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) in northeast Nigeria.