Nigeria has lost an estimated $10 billion in the last decade due to the prolonged conflict in the North-East, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed, disclosed this in Maiduguri on Wednesday during the launch of a new child reintegration programme for children affected by armed conflict.
Represented by Shah Mohammad Khan, UNICEF’s Child Protection Manager, Saeed said the Boko Haram insurgency has devastated livelihoods, slowed economic growth, and forced many families into poverty.
“According to a 2024 study commissioned by UNICEF, the economic impact of the North-East conflict has cost Nigeria about $10 billion over the past 10 years,” she said.
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She explained that the new programme aims to train and empower conflict-affected children with vocational and life skills to help them rebuild their lives and regain dignity. So far, 1,033 children are undergoing training in tailoring, ICT, automobile repair, shoemaking, and carpentry across Maiduguri, Bama, Biu, Damboa, and Konduga.
“These vocational centres restore not just learning but also hope and dignity for children and their families,” Saeed added.
Borno State Commissioner for Education, Abba Wakilbe, commended UNICEF and its partner agencies — UNDP, IOM, and UNODC — for their continued support in helping conflict-affected communities recover and rebuild.