UNICEF Estimates $10bn Economic Loss from North-East Conflict, Launches Reintegration Programme for Affected Children

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has estimated that Nigeria lost about $10 billion to the decade-long insurgency in the North-East.

UNICEF Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed, revealed this in Maiduguri on Wednesday during the launch of a socio-economic reintegration programme for children affected by armed conflict.

Represented by UNICEF’s Child Protection Manager, Shah Mohammad Khan, Saeed explained that the prolonged insurgency had not only weakened the national economy but also crippled household incomes and the earning potential of families and young people in the region.

“According to a 2024 study commissioned by UNICEF, the economic cost of conflict in North-East Nigeria has cost the country a staggering $10 billion over the last 10 years,” she said. “Conflict has not only weakened the national economy but has crippled the income and earning potential of families and young people. For too long, many children and adolescents—especially girls—have been denied the opportunity to learn a skill or pursue their dreams.”

Saeed noted that years of violence had been marked by grave human rights violations, including abductions and sexual violence against children. She said the loss of livelihood opportunities continues to have devastating consequences for human capital development in the region.

The new socio-economic reintegration programme, according to UNICEF, is designed to support conflict-affected children through vocational skills training and child protection services.

Currently, 1,033 children—comprising 567 boys and 466 girls—are enrolled in vocational training across Maiduguri, Bama, Biu, Damboa and Konduga. They are being equipped with market-driven skills such as tailoring, ICT, automobile repair, shoemaking and carpentry.

“These training centres restore not just learning but also hope, dignity, and opportunity for conflict-affected adolescents and their families,” Saeed said. The programme also includes life skills development, psychosocial support and formal certification, ensuring that beneficiaries can transition into sustainable livelihoods.

She added that more than a thousand children are expected to benefit from the initiative each year, gaining practical skills that would help them rebuild their lives and contribute to peace and recovery within their communities.

The Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abba Wakilbe, praised UNICEF and its partner agencies—UNDP, IOM and UNODC—for their collaboration and sustained support.

“Let me particularly thank UNICEF for coming to our aid in many of our difficult situations” Wakilbe said.

The initiative underscores UNICEF’s ongoing commitment to rebuilding lives in Nigeria’s conflict-affected North-East by empowering young people with education, protection and employable skills that foster long-term stability and resilience.