Civil Unrest, Insurgences and the Challenges of Community Displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Silhouette of selected states in Nigeria

Adewumi Israel Badiora

Wesley University, Nigeria

Abstract:

Global efforts at managing community displacement have concentrated more on refugees than internally displaced persons (IDPs), yet the latter equally constitute a challenge to global civilization. This study therefore, examines the everyday problem of insurgences and community displacement in Nigeria. It examines these in Adamawa, Bornu and Yobe state having explored secondary data. Of 678,713 IDPs officially registered in these states as at the year 2014, findings showed that female accounted for 68.0% while the proportions of children and aged were 48.0% and 32.0% respectively. The proportion of IDPs whose spouse died as a result of insurgences was 37.0%. While 8.0% of the children lost both parent, findings showed that 78% lost their source of income to insurgences. Findings showed that Boko Haram's brutality remained the significant cause of community displacement in the study area. Nonetheless, inter-communal, religion conflicts, forced eviction and natural disasters have also caused some displacements. Community displacement remains serious issue in Nigeria that, given the sheer scale of the present disasters, has fundamental implications for the future well-being of Sub-Saharan Africa. Policies towards addressing these problems are discussed.

Keyword:

Civil unrest, Community Displacement, Internally Displacement Persons (IDPs), Sub-Saharan Africa, Insurgences, Boko Haram.