From IDP Camp To Creative Economy: IFON Urges Nigeria To Invest In Displaced Youths

The journey of Nigerian recording artist and humanitarian advocate, Mohammed Abubakar, popularly known as OG Abbah, from an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp to national recognition has renewed calls for Nigeria to look beyond relief efforts and invest in the creative potential of displaced and underserved young people.

OG Abbah was discovered through the I Am The Future Of Nigeria Youth Initiative (IFON) Creative’s One Beat Talent Hunt while living in an IDP camp. He has since built a career in music and emerged as a voice associated with hope, resilience and the potential of young people affected by displacement.

According to IFON Creative’s One Beat Talent Hunt, his story is evidence of the enormous creative talent that may be hidden within Nigeria’s displaced communities.

The initiative said OG Abbah’s journey should prompt a rethink of how humanitarian intervention is designed, arguing that displaced people should not be viewed solely as recipients of relief but also as individuals with talents, skills, ideas and economic potential.

Speaking on the initiative, IFON CEO, Noni Okocha, said displacement should not be allowed to erase the potential of young people.

“We have seen young people in IDP communities discover their voices through music. We have seen displaced women transform ordinary materials into creative products. We have seen children tell their stories through paintings.

“These are not simply humanitarian beneficiaries. They are people with talents, skills, ideas and economic potential,” Okocha said.

She urged the Federal Government, humanitarian agencies, private-sector organisations and creative institutions to incorporate creative empowerment into humanitarian interventions.

According to her, music, fashion, visual arts, painting, film, design and other creative disciplines can provide displaced and vulnerable young people with skills, confidence, income opportunities and pathways into the wider creative economy.

“The Nigerian government must begin to see the creative industry as part of humanitarian empowerment. Relief keeps people alive, but opportunity gives people a future,” she said.

OG Abbah’s Story: Talent Beyond The Cities

IFON said OG Abbah’s experience also challenges the perception that creative talent is concentrated only in Nigeria’s major cities and established creative communities.

“Talent can exist inside an IDP camp. Talent can exist in a refugee community. Talent can exist in the trenches. The difference is whether somebody is willing to look for it,” the initiative said.

It therefore called for structured creative empowerment programmes in displaced and underserved communities, including talent identification, mentorship, skills development, professional networking, platforms for creative expression and pathways linking creativity with sustainable livelihoods.

“This is not a request to replace humanitarian relief. It is a call to expand what humanitarian intervention can mean,” Okocha added.

“If a young person can move from an IDP camp to the creative economy, imagine what could happen if thousands of young people were deliberately given that opportunity.”

Derby Workshop Extends Message Of Hope

The campaign has now extended beyond Nigeria, with OG Abbah engaging refugees and young people in Derby, United Kingdom, through an art workshop organised in collaboration with Think Artist Organisation.

The workshop was further elevated by the presence of Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, who represents the Mackworth and New Zealand Ward on Derby City Council.

In a deeply resonant address, Councillor Onuoha expressed his delight at welcoming OG Abbah to Derby and commended his commitment to carrying a message of hope to displaced communities.

Addressing the refugees and other participants at the workshop, the councillor encouraged them to draw strength from OG Abbah’s journey, describing his story as a living testament to resilience and the power of refusing to surrender one’s dreams to difficult circumstances.

He urged the participants to remain committed to their aspirations, stressing the importance of hope, perseverance and the courage to pursue their highest potential despite the challenges of displacement.

The Derby engagement, IFON said, is also opening conversations around how organisations in Nigeria and the United Kingdom can share knowledge, networks and creative opportunities to support displaced communities.

Building A Pathway Beyond Relief

For IFON, however, the ambition goes beyond the success story of one artist.

The organisation said OG Abbah represents what is possible when talent is identified, nurtured and connected to opportunity, adding that thousands of other displaced young people could similarly contribute to the creative economy if deliberate structures were put in place.

“From displacement to dreams. From creativity to opportunity. From humanitarian intervention to economic empowerment,” IFON said, stressing that Nigeria must begin building that pathway.

The organisation noted that millions of young Nigerians have had their education, security or stability disrupted by displacement and other difficult circumstances, but insisted that such experiences should not extinguish their creativity or economic potential.

“The challenge is to find that creativity, nurture it and connect it to opportunity,” IFON said.

For the initiative, OG Abbah is the evidence; the next step, it stressed, is to build the pathway for others.