Nigeria must invest in National peace to avoid statelessness caused by war – Aregbesola
By Ukpono Ukpong
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has said that Nigeria must invest in National peace to avoid statelessness caused by war and armed conflict.
Aregbesola said this yesterday at the launch of the National Action Plan (NAP) and High Level Steering Committee (HSLC) to end the nightmare of statelessness in Nigeria.
He said that the Plan was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) with prioritized five key areas for implementation.
“We must all invest in national peace and prevent especially statelessness caused by war and armed conflict. We have in Asia and the Middle East second and third generation stateless persons whose parents and grandparents were displaced from their origin by wars and settled in neighbouring countries who refused to give them and their offspring citizenship.
“I am also seriously concerned about the plight of stateless children – refugees, war orphans and abandoned babies – who are starting life on the harrowing and uncertain lane.”
UNHCR describes stateless persons as individuals who are not considered citizens or nationals under the operation of the laws of any country.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are more than 10 million stateless persons across the globe.
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Stateless persons usually have no legal protection and right to vote. They often lack access to education, employment, healthcare, registration of birth, marriage or death, and property rights. They are vulnerable to exploitations and human trafficking.
While describing the situation as a global challenge in which Nigeria is also playing a leading role in eradicating and has been working in concert with other nations to find solution, he said that Nigeria is a signatory to various International Treaties, Conventions or Declarations relating to the status of stateless persons or reduction of statelessness in West Africa.
“In 2015, Nigeria joined other West African countries to sign the Abidjan Declaration organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), a milestone declaration which recognises statelessness as a significant issue in West Africa and set out specific measures on how to put an end to statelessness between 2014 to 2024. The milestone declaration was endorsed by Nigeria at the ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State in May 2015 in Accra, Ghana
“The endorsement of protocols in the ECOWAS Plan of Action on eradication/reduction of statelessness by 2024 prompted Nigeria to develop and domesticate her own National Action Plan (NAP) to put an end to statelessness in Nigeria.”
The priority areas include, research, advocacy and sensitization; preventing childhood statelessness; addressing statelessness caused by transfer of territory e.g. Bakasi; Eradicating gender and other forms of discrimination in the recognition of citizenship and with regards to issuance of documents of identify, as well as protection of stateless migrants or refuges.
Aregbesola said that the Interior Ministry being the focal Ministry on implementation of National Action Plan (NAP) to end Statelessness in Nigeria, will partner with relevant MDAS, the National Assembly, Civil Right Societies, NGOs, State Governments, UNHCR, academicians etc. towards the speedy and timely implementation of the Plan.
“This will be through robust engagement, budgeting and administrative measures and procedures, to ensure the realization of the 2024 timeline for an end to statelessness in West Africa.
“The determination and commitment of Nigeria towards an end to statelessness is demonstrated by signing various treaties, conventions and declarations on the subject. Nigeria has developed and approved the NAP on statelessness, participated actively on programmes organized by UNHCR to garner support from ECOWAS member states in ending statelessness as a national agenda.”
He said that the High-Level Steering Committee shall, in addition to five priority areas of NAP, be involved in the identification of vulnerable persons at the risk level of statelessness in the country and develop measures and actions in tandem with of NAP to end stateless person’s status forthwith.
“Identify factors or laws that may create new cases on Stateless persons, propose measures or amendment to the law in accordance to laid down procedures;
“Identify existing gap or discriminatory provision in our laws that tends to promote or create status of Stateless person and propose adequate remedy in line with procedure for amendment for such law:
“Examine identified gaps in registration of children at birth and work out seamless process of birth registration,
“Creates awareness at National, States, Local Government and Community Levels on the dangers and security implications of Stateless person and the need to put an end to it, using (# I BELONG CAMPAIGN);
“Develop a reasonable budget proposal for incorporation into National Budget in 2022-2023; and Any other measures and policies deemed fit or necessary to assist in putting an end to statelessness by 2024,
He expressed optimism that the Steering Committee of HLS on NAP will break into syndicate groups to commence fashioning the roadmap towards the achievement of the objectives and goals set out in the Nigeria Action Plan (NAP) to end statelessness timeously.
Speaking further, he disclosed that administrative procedures and processes have been put in place by his Ministry to provide relief and remedy to vulnerable persons at the risk of being stateless.
“I assure you that the Ministry of Interior, under my leadership, being the focal Ministry on implementation of NAP, shall provide decisive, visionary and exemplary leadership to achieving zero level stateless persons status by 2024. But this requires the cooperation, collaboration and commitment of all partners. It is a collective responsibility.”
