Boko Haram terrorism and the burden of managing internal displacement in Nigeria: Is the end in sight?

Abstract

Boko Haram terrorism has since its inception in 2009 claimed the lives of over 20,000 people and caused the displacement of about 3 million following violent attacks on communities and the destruction of social structure and economic livelihood opportunities for communities. Since the number of displaced persons resulting from the activities of Boko Haram is on the increase, efforts are being intensified by both the state and non-state humanitarian actors to manage the crisis that results from this displacement. Despite these efforts, very few results have been achieved. This is largely a result of problems that bedevil the Nigerian state, namely (i) inadequate resources to finance humanitarian programmes for the internally displaced persons (IDPs), (ii) poor data management system, (iii) clash of responsibilities among humanitarian delivery agencies and institutions and (iv) the lack of policy support and poor implementation of provisions of other frameworks. Utilising systems theory, the study investigates the efforts of state and non-state actors in managing Boko Haram-induced internal displacements and the effectiveness or otherwise of managing the IDPs in Nigeria. It is found that the management of IDPs in Nigeria remains poorly handled owing to the above factors. Relying on the secondary method of data collection, the study also found that prolonged Boko Haram terrorism increases the possibility of internal displacements. Based on these findings, the study concludes that the government should quicken the process of policy adoption and implementation on IDP to serve as a legal framework for the management of IDPs in Nigeria, as well as develop a robust mechanism of data management to enhance the administration of humanitarian support.