Strategies for Adopting the National Policy on IDPs and Domesticating in Nigeria the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of IDPs in Africa

Abstract

Internal displacement in Nigeria is a recurring and large-scale phenomenon and has affected most of the country’s thirty-six states. Africa’s largest populated country has seen many waves of displacement, both small and large scale, caused essentially by conflict, generalized violence, natural disasters and human rights violations.As at the end of 2014, of the global 38 million forcefully displaced by armed conflict and generalized violence, Nigeria account for at least one million. Between July and October 2012, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) estimated in a published report that a total of 7.7 million people were affected by the flood disaster across the federation. Out of the affected population, 2.1 million people were internally displaced (IDPs); 363 persons died and 18,282 people were treated for injuries they sustained during the flooding. As at January 2014, about 165, 000 people were displaced by both floods and conflict in IDP camps in Nigeria.Having recognized that in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world, IDPs are amongst the most vulnerable populations, the Federal Government of Nigeria signed and approved the ratification of the African Union (Kampala Convention) for the Protection and Assistance of IDPs in Africa. Nigeria formally ratified the convention on 17 April 2012.It is against this background that this paper seeks to achieve the following objectives: - i. To underscore the importance of adopting the revised Draft National Policy on IDPs, 2012 and domesticating the AU Kampala Convention on IDPs in Africa;ii. To highlight strategies to be considered for adopting the policy and domesticating the Convention as well as their implementation framework in Nigeria;iii. To further underscore the need for monitoring and evaluation of implementation of both the policy and the legislative instrument domesticating the Kampala Convention in Nigeria;iv. To conclude with the way forward for Nigeria.