The Director General of the Bureau for International Cooperation and Development (BICD) and State Focal Person for the Solutions for the Internally Displaced (SOLID) Project, Dr. Aondoaseer Leonard Viashima, on Monday, 31st August 2025, convened a high-level strategic meeting with Permanent Secretaries of key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Benue State.
The engagement was aimed at providing Permanent Secretaries with an overview of the SOLID Project and securing their buy-in ahead of the formal inauguration of the State Steering Committee, which will be chaired by the Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
A statement by Juliana Okenyi, Information Officer, Bureau for International Cooperation and Development (BICD) indicated that the Permanent Secretaries, who also serve in acting capacity as Commissioners, will be key members of the Steering Committee and are expected to play a central role in guiding implementation.
In his presentation, Dr. Viashima underscored that SOLID is not merely a humanitarian intervention but a development project of multi-sectoral nature, designed to empower internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities through improved access to basic services, sustainable livelihoods, agricultural productivity, and critical infrastructure. He emphasized that the project will be implemented in three Local Government Areas of Agatu, Guma, and Makurdi, with the active involvement of MDAs serving as the engine of delivery.
Dr. Viashima also noted that Benue is one of the Tier One beneficiary states, alongside Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Zamfara, and Katsina, placing the state at the forefront of a nationally significant initiative funded by the World Bank with support from the Federal Government.
“The success of SOLID will depend on the synergy and collective ownership of our ministries and agencies,” he stated. “This is why it is important that our Permanent Secretaries—who will also sit on the Steering Committee—are fully engaged from the outset.”
The Permanent Secretaries commended BICD for its inclusive and proactive approach and pledged to align their ministries with the project framework to ensure smooth and effective delivery. They assured that their respective MDAs would work collaboratively under the guidance of the Steering Committee to drive sustainable outcomes for IDPs and host communities in the state.
The engagement marks a critical preparatory step ahead of the Steering Committee’s inauguration, which will provide overall leadership, policy direction, and oversight for the SOLID Project in Benue State. By design, the project is expected to significantly strengthen resilience, restore dignity, and foster long-term development for displaced persons and host communities.
