It is about 5 a.m. in the morning at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, six-year-old Aisha wakes up in a crowded tent made from tarpaulin with patches of torn leather sacks and rough, unstraightened wooden sticks. She shares the tent with her parents and six siblings. There is no mattress, just a thin piece of mat spread across the sandy floor. It is hot, but the cool of the night brings some relief. Aisha’s mother, Fatima, gathers a few utensils to cook the day’s first meal, but there is little to prepare, just some maize flour and no sugar to sweeten it, provided by an NGO a few days ago. The family of nine will have to share this. A bath in the morning is a luxury here.
After breakfast, Aisha does not go to school. Despite government claims of providing education in IDP camps, the truth is that many IDP children are out of school. Resources are scarce, and classrooms when and if they exist, are overcrowded and underfunded. Like many children in the camp, Aisha spends her day playing in the dust or helping her mother fetch water from the communal well or public tank. Even the water is not safe, leading to recurrent cholera outbreaks.
It is afternoon at the IDP Camp, for Fatima, the day is filled with an exhausting cycle of trying to care for her children while worrying about the future. The camp, located in northeastern Nigeria, lacks basic health facilities. Fatima is six months pregnant but has no access to antenatal care. Malnutrition is rampant among the women and children in the camp, and Fatima is concerned for the health of her unborn baby. She hopes that humanitarian agencies will bring more food supplies soon, but the aid is sporadic and unpredictable.
Like many IDP mothers, Fatima has no source of income, and her husband struggles to find daily labour jobs in nearby areas. The family’s farm, which they fled years ago, was their primary source of livelihood. With no access to land, Fatima dreams of one day returning to her village, rebuilding her home, and sending her children to school.
The dreaded evening is here again at the IDP Camp, as night falls, Aisha and her siblings settle down for another restless night. Security within the camp is minimal, and Fatima worries about the safety of her family. Incidents of sexual violence and assault are common, especially against women and girls. The camp has no electricity, leaving Fatima, Aisha and the rest in complete darkness as they gist with one another and anxiously listen for any unusual sounds while waiting for sleep to steal them to oblivion.
IDPs in Nigeria represent one of the most vulnerable populations in the country. Conflict, violence, natural disasters, and other crises have uprooted millions of Nigerians from their homes, stripping them of their livelihoods and subjecting them to unimaginable hardships. As of 2024, there are over 3.2 million IDPs, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nigeria, mostly concentrated in the northeastern part of the country.
Above is a miniature size of IDP plight in Nigeria, a pressing humanitarian crisis that demands urgent action from the Nigerian government, donor agencies, local and international organisations, well-meaning individuals both in and outside Nigeria. The IDP issue must be reprioritised, interventions aligned toward long-term solutions that will restore the dignity and self-reliance of IDPs.
But wait, who are IDPs? IDPs are individuals or groups who are forced to flee their homes but remain within their country’s borders. Unlike refugees, IDPs do not cross international boundaries, leaving them under the care and protection of their own government. Sadly, in Nigeria, this protection is often inadequate. IDPs are particularly vulnerable because displacement often results in the loss of homes, farmland, sources of income, access to healthcare, and education. In displacement camps or host communities, they face overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, food shortages, and insufficient access to clean water and healthcare. Many IDPs live in makeshift shelters, creating a bleak existence marked by uncertainty, poverty, and fear.
The aspirations of IDPs are simple and human. They wish to return home, rebuild their lives, and live in dignity. For many, the hope of returning to their villages or towns seems increasingly distant as insecurity persists. They aspire to regain access to education, healthcare, and livelihoods. They yearn for a sense of normalcy and security, something they had before!
Despite these simple aspirations, IDPs remain trapped in a cycle of deprivation, facing barriers that prevent them from achieving their goals. A return to their homes is often impossible due to ongoing violence, and access to education and healthcare is limited by inadequate infrastructure in the camps. Many IDPs are also caught in a web of dependency on humanitarian aid, with little opportunity to become self-reliant.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government’s response to the IDP crisis has been inadequate and poorly coordinated. IDPs are often neglected in policy discourse, and their needs are deprioritized in favour of other political and economic issues. While some government agencies, like the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), exist, their efforts have been undermined by corruption, ineffective coordination, implementation and their yearly budget inadequate to cater to the most basic needs.
So also, is that of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in managing IDP camps. Reports suggest that their work has not always met expectations, particularly in terms of providing adequate support and resources.
Another distressing thing is the absence of a clear legal framework to protect IDPs which exacerbates their vulnerabilities. Although Chapter II: Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended guarantees the right to life, dignity, and freedom from discrimination, these rights are often not extended to IDPs. The chapter also mandates the government at all levels to ensure the security, welfare, and well-being of all citizens in Section 14(2)(b), Section 16 also emphasizes economic justice, calling for the government to manage resources efficiently and ensure that every citizen has access to equal opportunities for economic growth and development, and Section 17 which focuses on social justice, where governance must reflect equity, fairness, and inclusiveness. It guarantees protection from discrimination and emphasizes the need for the state to provide security, employment opportunities, and basic needs such as education and healthcare.
Donor agencies, while providing much-needed assistance, are also not immune to criticism. Their efforts, while commendable, sometimes fail to address the root causes of displacement or provide sustainable solutions.
One may ask, what are the causes of Internal Displacement? They include: Insurgency and Armed Conflict: The Boko Haram insurgency, ongoing since 2009, has displaced over two million people in the northeast. Borno State alone accounts for over 1.5 million of these displaced persons, as violent attacks on villages, schools, and markets by Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) continue to terrorize the region. While in the Niger Delta Region known for its oil wealth, has also witnessed displacement due to armed conflict. Militant activities and clashes between oil companies and local communities, coupled with military interventions, have displaced an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people over the years.
•Communal and Ethnic Clashes: Jos, in Plateau State: has witness ethnic and religious tensions between indigenous groups and so-called settlers have triggered waves of violence since the early 2000s. Recent clashes between farmers and herders have displaced over 250,000 people as of 2023. Likewise, in Taraba State; Ethno-religious violence, particularly between the Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups, has caused the displacement of over 150,000 people since 2018.
•Banditry and Kidnappings: Between 2020 and 2023, banditry and kidnapping displaced an estimated 500,000 people in southern Kaduna and other affected regions. Villages have been sacked, farmlands destroyed, and entire communities forced to flee to safer areas or IDP camps in Kaduna city and surrounding towns. In Zamfara State, particularly in rural communities, has displaced over 700,000 people since 2019. The armed groups operate with impunity, attacking villages, abducting people for ransom, and forcing many to abandon their homes. Additionally, in Katsina State, an estimated 200,000 people have been displaced due to kidnappings and attacks
•Natural Disasters: Displacement due to floods remains a major cause of internal displacement in Nigeria, exacerbated by poor urban planning, deforestation, and climate change. In 2022, Kogi State experienced severe flooding displacing over 100,000 people and submerging thousands of homes, particularly in Lokoja, which sits at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers. Recently Maiduguri, in Borno State witnessed heavy rains which led to the collapse of the dam causing significant flooding, exacerbating the conditions in IDP camps, where temporary shelters were destroyed. This led to the displacement of over 1,000,000 people in various camps and host communities
•Infrastructure Projects: Displacement due to Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 1,200-kilometer project, has raised concerns about its impact on local communities and the environment. Initial estimates suggest that approximately 20,000 to 30,000 people could be displaced due to the construction, particularly densely populated regions where the road will pass, such as Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states.
–Rabiu (Bakondare) sent this piece from Kaduna
