UNHCR Appoints Innocent Idibia Aka 2baba As Brand Ambassador

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today announced the appointment of world-renowned musician, music producer, and philanthropist, Innocent Ujah Idibia, known by his stage name 2Baba, as a Goodwill Ambassador.

The agency announced in a press release on June 23, 2020, before 2face posted a photo of the endorsement  on his twitter page.

According to the press release, UNHCR noted that 2Baba is the first Nigerian to be appointed as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador due to his relentless commitment to UNHCR and his investment in pan-African development.

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The press release read in part, ”For the past three years, 2Baba has been a committed High-Level Supporter of UNHCR’s LuQuLuQu campaign – a pan-African movement of people from all walks of life investing in a better future for forcibly displaced people across the continent.

In this role, he has dedicated his time to uplift the narrative of refugees and internally displaced persons individuals (IDP) in Africa. In 2017, 2Baba visited IDP camps in north-eastern Nigeria’s Borno state.

Speaking on the new appointment, the UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Chansa Kapaya, in a statement said, “These families shared heart-breaking stories of watching loved ones being kidnapped or killed, forced to flee the comfort of their homes and leave everything they knew behind. I saw how they struggled to access basic things that we take for granted – like food, water, education, and healthcare,” said 2Baba.

“I witnessed UNHCR’s work firsthand during my visits and commend the organization for being on the frontlines, providing emergency relief and support to forcibly displaced families. I believe in this organization and I’m proud to be associated with UNHCR.”

“Nigeria hosts 60,239 refugees in south east Nigeria and over 2.6 million internally displaced persons in north east Nigeria.  With such staggering numbers of people forced to flee in Africa, 2Baba’s support and advocacy is instrumental for Nigeria and the continent,”

“We look forward to his continued incredible commitment.”

In another development, Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s Director of External Relations said, “At a time when one percent of humanity has been forced to flee, we welcome 2Baba’s help in raising awareness and support for refugees and our cause,”

“We welcome 2Baba to the UNHCR family as a Goodwill Ambassador and commend him for being part of the movement challenging the narrative of the African refugee.”

According to the agency’s  statement, 2Baba has given his voice to refugee and IDP causes. In 2017 he wrote and recorded, Hold My Hand, a song dedication to internally displaced persons, which helped raise funds for UNHCR’s humanitarian response.