Displacement Cycle

Humans in many parts of the world are either suffering displacements or risking it. The spate of violence and conflict, the impact of climate change is exponentially increasing the number of displaced people; this trend will continue as there is no clear end in sight of these causative factors. According to the United Nations, more people have been forced to flee in 2020. Nearer home, in Africa\’s most populous nation, about 3.4 million have been displaced mainly due to insurgency, armed banditry and inter-communal conflict. The focus of responsible governments all over the world is how to end the triggers of displacement, especially violent conflict. In Nigeria, new evictions are happening within the same timeline government is returning and resettling people previously displaced people. As the root causes of displacement continue, almost unhindered, the nation is caught in a cycle of displacements and resettlements.

New displacements in Nigeria will worsen the humanitarian crisis, expose the displaced population to vulnerabilities that may lead them to crime.  Already at 3.4 million displaced persons, Nigeria contributes 4.3 per cent of the global figures (79.5 million), making her one of the top 10 countries with the highest risks of a humanitarian disaster in 2019. Moreover, in 2020, about 10.6 million people are already in severe need of humanitarian assistance. As the Boko Haram insurgency continues, and armed bandits hold sway in the northwest, more people will be trapped in the displacement cycle waiting to be returned and resettled by the Nigerian government.

Like the rest of the world, Nigeria must attend first attend to its displacement population. Second, it must also address the triggers of displacement. The achievement of returning and resettling internally displaced persons will be more meaningful if the causes of displacement have been relatively addressed. Government must also ensure that the returning population are resettled in a secure environment where they are also enabled to restart their lives. This will ensure that they are not displaced yet again as a result of insecurity or internal crisis between them.

Military efforts must improve in Nigeria\’s hotspot zones. New strategies must be employed to defeat both Boko Haram insurgents and bandits in the northwest. Government must commission independent research that will uncover other root causes of displacements that have not made it to the mainstream media or become public knowledge. Nigeria\’s approach to solving the displacement problem must take a three-pronged drive; first, to manage the already displaced population by way of improved welfare services in recognised and spontaneous camps where they seek refuge. Second, to prevent new displacements, the military should also increase the tempo of counterterrorism in the country.  Third, the project of returning and resettling displaced persons must be comprehensive enough to factor in the security of the resettlement areas, the support of host communities and provision of livelihood sources and basic amenities for survival.