The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have re-stated their resolve to collaborate further in addressing insecurity, forced displacement, and migration challenges across the country.

This was at the visit of Ogechi Daniels, IOM’s Deputy Director General of Operations to Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

In a statement, both sides agreed to work jointly in addressing the challenges of peace building, reintegration, and counter terrorism.

Daniels praised the Nigerian Government for its leadership in implementing Operation Safe Corridor—the flagship programme for the rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant insurgents.

She observed that the initiative, which was limited to the North East, has now been enlarged to cover the entirety of Northern Nigeria, demonstrating Nigeria’s commitment to holistic peace building.

The Deputy Director, said her organisation, was ready to deploy experts on Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reintegration, and Reconciliation (DDRR) in Zamfara State and other conflict-affected areas, adding that such technical expertise would help consolidate peace and reduce vulnerabilities to renewed violence.

Daniels also underlined the importance of reliable data for disaster risk reduction and effective coordination among stakeholders.

She highlighted IOM’s technical support in strengthening border management and early warning systems, as well as its active presence across all member states of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

She revealed that the organisation recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Development Office to launch the fourth phase of rehabilitation and community-based reintegration programmes in Nigeria.

While appreciating the Federal Government for providing an enabling environment for IOM’s work, Daniels reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting safe returns and the local integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs).