UNHCR and TGI Group Launch Deal to Create 10,000 Jobs for Displaced Nigerians
UNHCR and TGI Group Launch Deal to Create 10,000 Jobs for Displaced Nigerians
UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Arjun Jain (left), and Habiba Sulaiman of TGI Group display the signed partnership agreement to expand livelihood opportunities for refugees, IDPs and host communities in Nigeria.
Abuja, 18 June 2026 — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group have launched a three-year partnership to support over 5,000 farmers and create more than 10,000 jobs in Benue and Cross River States.
Implemented through TGI's agribusiness arm, WACOT Limited — a leading food and agro-allied company with over 25 years of operations across Nigeria's agricultural value chains — the programme targets refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities, with an estimated 25,000–35,000 people expected to benefit.
Farmers in fragile communities across Benue and Cross River States will receive improved inputs, technical training, certification, and structured market access across rice, maize, sesame, soya, and cocoa value chains.
The initiative comes as UNHCR's newly released Global Trends report reveals that 117.8 million people remain forcibly displaced worldwide — one in every 70 people on earth. Nigeria hosts over 3.8 million forcibly displaced people, while Nigerians account for 3.5 per cent of the world's forcibly displaced population.
"This partnership is about moving from aid to opportunity,"
TGI and UNHCR are connecting displaced people to jobs, skills, and markets so they can rebuild their lives with dignity and contribute to the economy. We are immensely grateful to TGI for their vision and leadership in this regard.
Habiba Sulaiman of TGI Group said the company is committed to inclusive growth: "This partnership strengthens our supply chains while creating real economic opportunities for communities affected by displacement."
Work has already begun, with government and community consultations and soil sampling already completed. The agreement builds on a 2024 partnership between UNHCR and TGI and reflects a shift toward market-driven solutions that reduce dependency and drive economic inclusion.
