The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has approved $2.9 million to rehabilitate the hundreds of thousands of women and children devastated by 15 years of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.

The Executive Director, Centre For Advocacy, Transparency & Accountability Initiative—CATAI, Abubakar Sadiq Muazu, who disclosed this, said the gesture is aimed at executing at least one community-led project for recovery in the three most affected local government areas of the state—Bama, Gwoza, and Monguno.

Sadiq revealed this during the launch of the project titled PACT-LAB, which focused on protecting children, women, and youth affected by conflict through local actors in Borno State.

“Allow me to, on behalf of the consortium, the community members of Bama, Gwoza, and Monguno, extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for their generous funding and unwavering commitment to the cause of peace, empowerment, resilience, and human development,” he said.

He said that the project aims to directly benefit approximately 20,392, while ‘500,000 individuals will be reached through community-led awareness raising on CP and GBV risks, comprising a diverse group of the population, including vulnerable children, youth, women, and carers.

“The project seeks to create a lasting impact on the lives of these individuals, concentrating on several critical areas to ensure that the most vulnerable population receives the support that they need,” Sadiq said.

He said the project would focus on children living with disabilities, out-of-school children, adolescent girls and young mothers, women and girls at risk of GBV, and community-based protection groups and frontline service providers.

“Through strategic collaboration and advocacy, we aspire to foster a resilient environment that safeguards and upholds the rights and dignity of all individuals, including vulnerable women, men, girls, and boys, including children living with disabilities, in Bama, Gwoza, and Monguno LGAs,” he explained.

The CATAI Executive Director said the project would strengthen local mechanisms to safeguard children and women, ensuring they are protected from violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect, adding that the mechanisms include establishing safe spaces and providing psychosocial support to those who have been affected by trauma.

“This project will provide the youth with skills, education, and opportunities to contribute positively to their communities while creating pathways for sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

Sadiq said the project represents a shared commitment, “a promise to the people of Bama, Gwoza, and Monguno that they are not forgotten, that their voices matter, and that we stand with them in solidarity; it is a reminder that progress is possible when we work together, harnessing the power of partnerships and the resilience of communities.”

He maintained that the project would bring unique initiatives working closely with government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and align with all humanitarian working groups to fill the gaps of the 2025 humanitarian response plan.

Also, the Executive Director of LABDI, Mrs. Ladi Clark, said the 30-month initiative is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) with a total sum of 2.9 million USD, designed to address the urgent needs of the vulnerable populations in conflict-affected areas by strengthening Child Protection (CP), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Education in Emergencies (EiE) services in the conflict-affected areas of Borno State.

“By working together—government agencies, local organisations, and international partners—we aim to build a cohesive network of support that champions the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable in our society.” She said.

The Executive Director of CSOs, Comrade Bulama Abiso, said local actors are the bedrock of any sustainable intervention.

“We will enhance their capacities to respond effectively to the needs of their communities, ensuring that interventions are culturally sensitive, inclusive, and community-driven,” he declared.

The Director of Women Affairs in the ministry, Hajiya Falmata Lawan, expressed gratitude to the Swiss government for their gestures toward rehabilitating those who were affected by insurgency, noting that the intervention would go a long way to provide succour to the victims of the crisis.

The Consortium partners—led by the Centre for Advocacy Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI) and Life at Best Development Initiative (LABDI), in partnership with Rise to Inspire Africa (RIA), Youth Integrated for Positive Development Initiative (YIPDI), with the technical support of Terre des Hommes (Tdh).