A documentary filmmaker and photographer, John Okocha who works with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across Nigeria, has identified psychosocial support as a vital need that should be provided for IDPs.
Okocha made this known during a consultative/media parley on Advancing Rights of IDPs organized by Journalists for Christ (JFC), with support from World Association of Christian Communicators (WACC) and Bread of Life.
Okocha noted that IDPs require more than food support for them to live a meaningful life.
“How do you change the mindset of a child who watched his father killed and his mother raped?” Okocha asked.
He buttressed that the way to address such challenge is to provide therapy sessions for IDPs as well as other people working in the camps.
Okocha tasked journalists to build relationship and trust with IDPs, so they can tell their stories with the aim of getting necessary attention from the government.
On her part, Mrs Adekemi Adeyeye, Executive Director, Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development (HUFFPED) mentioned that the education need of IDPs is a key issue that should be addressed urgently.
She explained that IDPs should not be automatically cut off from the world, adding that it is important that they have access to education so they can be easily integrated into the society after leaving the IDP camps.
Adeyeye also added that IDPs could be taught some survival skills, “teach them survival skills, so that once they are out of IDP camps, they can stand on their own and fend for themselves”.
Chinagorom Okoro, Communication Officer of Sesor Empowerment Foundation, shared that there is much focus on IDP camps in Northern Nigeria because of the spate of insurgency.
She lamented that it is difficult to get help for IDPs in South West Nigeria because of the perception that there are no IDP camps in the region.
Okoro urged the media to also focus attention on IDPs in other parts of the country and advocate for their rights.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, President, JFC, appreciated the journalists in attendance for their show of commitment to advance the rights of IDPs in Nigeria.
He also explained that the project would help JFC to use the media as a tool to ensure that the rights of IDPs are not violated.
Also, Mr Sanmi Falobi, JFC/WACC IDP Project Advisor mentioned that a network of IDP supporting journalists would be set up, to ensure adequate collaboration among journalists and to give positive reportage of IDP issues.