The beneficiaries, comprising refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable residents, also received starter kits to enable them to establish sustainable livelihoods.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Borno State Government have graduated 280 beneficiaries from a vocational training programme in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of the state.
The beneficiaries successfully completed skills-acquisition training at the Vocational Training Centre in Banki on Monday, September 21, 2026, as part of efforts to restore livelihoods and promote self-reliance among communities affected by insurgency.
The graduates comprised refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable members of the community.
At the graduation ceremony, the beneficiaries were presented with starter kits and self-reliance packages designed to help them apply the skills acquired during the training and establish income-generating businesses.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Chairman of Bama Local Government Council, the Vice Chairman, Hon. Babagana Yusuf, commended UNHCR and the Borno State Government for their sustained interventions in Banki and other communities affected by the conflict.
Yusuf said the interventions had gone beyond immediate humanitarian assistance by providing affected residents with skills and resources needed to rebuild their lives and achieve economic independence.
“On behalf of the good people of Bama Local Government and the beneficiaries of this graduation, we express our profound and sincere gratitude to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for its unwavering support to humanity and particularly to our people in Banki,” he said.
He noted that UNHCR had also contributed to the construction of 450 housing units for refugees and returnees from Minawao Refugee Camp in Cameroon, supported the vocational training centre, provided irrigation interventions and assisted with the repatriation of Nigerian refugees.
According to him, the vocational training programme represents an important step towards restoring hope and economic independence among families whose livelihoods were disrupted by years of insurgency.
He particularly described the starter kits as significant, saying they would provide the graduates with the practical means to turn their newly acquired skills into productive economic activities.
Yusuf also commended the Borno State Government, under Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, for its continued commitment to reconstruction, rehabilitation, resettlement and human-capital development in communities affected by insurgency.
He acknowledged the efforts of the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation and Chairman of the Bama Reconstruction Committee, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, for his role in initiatives aimed at rebuilding the education and skills-development sector.
Wakilbe, who witnessed the graduation, also commended UNHCR for its intervention and urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the starter kits rather than sell them.
He said the support would help the graduates establish businesses, generate income and contribute to the economic recovery of their communities.
The Bama Local Government Council assured UNHCR and the Borno State Government that it would continue to support and monitor development interventions provided for residents, while urging beneficiaries to protect the facilities and resources made available to them.
Yusuf urged the 280 graduates to regard the training and starter packages as an opportunity to build sustainable livelihoods, support their families and contribute to the recovery of Banki and the wider Bama community.
“Your intervention has not only provided shelter; it has provided skills, livelihoods and a future for families affected by insurgency. You have helped turn tears into hope and displacement into dignity,” he said.
The council expressed appreciation to UNHCR, the Borno State Government, development partners and other stakeholders for their contributions to recovery and reconstruction efforts in conflict-affected communities across Bama Local Government Area and Borno State.
