Senator representing Rivers West, Ipalibo Banigo, has promised improved healthcare and welfare for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as preparations for the 2026 federal budget gather pace.
Banigo made the pledge on Christmas Day during a visit to the IDPs camp in Abuja, where she shared food items, including 300 bags of 25kg rice and 300 packs of spaghetti, to residents of the camp, in addition to cooked food and drinks, even as she spoke on government plans to address their welfare.
She said the 2026 budget, expected to take effect from April, would prioritise healthcare delivery, vulnerable groups and displaced persons, provided there is proper oversight and accountability in the use of funds.
AljazirahNigeria recalls that President Bola Tinubu had earlier presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, outlining plans to boost social services, improve security and strengthen healthcare systems across the country. The President said the budget was designed to improve the standard of living of Nigerians, with emphasis on maternal and child healthcare, care for the elderly, persons with disabilities and those affected by insecurity.
Speaking at the camp, Banigo said, “All these people are my constituents and I enjoy being with them. Also, I’m Chairman of the Committee on Health and one of our oversights is IDPs, but I don’t regard them as IDPs. I regard them as God’s special people, and I’m showing love to them today, and I know that I’m very thankful to God for those of them who have come forth to declare that they have received this love.
“We expect that the 2026 budget will do a lot to improve maternal care, child care, care for the elderly, care for disabled persons and persons in IDPs, and generally improve the standard of health of our people.”
She stressed that displaced persons should not be forced to live in camps permanently, noting that the ultimate goal was to return them safely to their homes when security improves.
Banigo expressed optimism that insecurity would reduce, allowing displaced families to return to their communities and contribute to economic growth.
Speaking, Coordinator and Spokesperson of the Durumi IDPs camp, Idriss Ibrahim, lamented years of neglect by public office holders.
He said only a handful of senators had visited the camp in over a decade, despite the growing number of displaced persons in the country.
The IDPs Spokesperson said he led a peaceful protest to the National Assembly in 2016, after an IDP-related bill passed first and second readings but was later abandoned.
“Since 2016, despite the growing number of IDPs in Nigeria, the act for the IDPs has been stalled. The first step is to revisit that act and pass it into law,” Ibrahim said.
He also decried the lack of access to education in the camp, warning that children were growing up in ignorance and illiteracy, while calling on authorities to address the neglect of senior citizens among the displaced population.
