BENIN CITY — A total of 43 internally displaced persons (IDPs) residing at the Home for the Needy camp in Uhogua, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, are set to graduate from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria at the end of the current academic session.
The camp’s Coordinator, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, disclosed this during an interaction with journalists on Tuesday, noting that the soon-to-be graduates are pursuing degrees in Medicine, Engineering, Law, Accounting, Pharmacy, Nursing, Business Administration, Laboratory Technology, among others.
According to him, the academic progress of the camp’s residents reflects years of consistent support and resilience, despite the difficult conditions in which they live.
He revealed that six other IDPs from the camp are currently undergoing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, while five were recently called to the Nigerian Bar.
“You are aware that five of our children were called to the Bar last month. They were called to the Supreme Court Bar,” he said.
Folorunsho also disclosed that 147 IDPs at the camp recently completed their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), with all of them registered for both NECO and NABTEB exams.
Of this number, 140 sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and recorded strong performances. One candidate scored above 300, and over 123 scored more than 200.
“We are hopeful that about 145 of them will gain admission, going by the recently released cut-off marks,” he added.
Despite these achievements, Folorunsho expressed concern over the financial strain faced by the camp, which currently accommodates over 4,000 displaced persons.
He said the challenges are especially severe in the areas of feeding and funding education, with little to no support from government or corporate organisations.
“Sometimes, we don’t have enough food. It is tough when the children look up to us and there’s nothing to give. Since COVID-19, we have not received support from any major corporate organisation,” he said.
While acknowledging the occasional assistance from a few private individuals and clerics, he called on the public to support the camp’s efforts in helping displaced children realise their educational and life goals.
“We continue to give them hope. Many of these children were displaced due to insurgency, but they still have dreams. We are committed to helping them achieve those dreams,” Folorunsho said.
