Nigeria

Working environment

The escalation of conflict in north-eastern Nigeria has triggered displacement within the country and across borders to Cameroon, Chad and Niger.  Reports of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including sexual violence and exploitation, disappearances, attacks on civilian sites and forced recruitment, are abundant.  Insecurity has also had a severe impact on humanitarian needs, as well as on humanitarian access and response. 

At present, there are more than 5 million people affected by the conflict, including 2,7 million IDPs, over 175,000 returning refugees as well as an estimated 2,000,000 civilians who remain trapped in conflict areas or inaccessible parts of the region. More areas are expected to become accessible as the military recaptures territory and secures civilian locations. Eighty one percent of the IDPs live with host communities putting considerable pressure on their resources..

The majority of internally displaced people (IDPs) are in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe in the North East region.  An estimated 90 per cent of displacement is caused by the insurgency, while the remaining 10 per cent results from natural hazards as well as intercommunal clashes.  With the recent return of Nigerians from Cameroon and Chad, some of whom have returned to IDP situations the number of IDPs in Nigeria has continued to grow.  

In June 2016, the Government of Nigeria, with UNHCR’s support, hosted a Regional Protection Dialogue on the Lake Chad Basin to tackle the worrisome increase in protection incidents, including cases of refoulement.  At the close of the Dialogue, the Governments of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria pledged to carry out local, national and regional actions to enhance protection and identify potential solutions to displacement. 

Led by the Government of Nigeria and supported by the World Bank, the UN and the EU, the North-East Recovery and Peace Building Assessment (RPBA) was launched in 2016 to evaluate the economic, social and physical impact of the conflict in Nigeria.  The assessment builds on previous studies and will aim to develop an overarching framework for stability, peacebuilding and recovery.

Key priorities

In 2017, the UNHCR operation will focus on:
•    Implementing targeted protection services, providing protection-focused material assistance, undertaking shelter and community-based interventions, protection monitoring and advocacy, as well as strengthening of the capacity of local and national authorities to protect IDPs and assist returning IDPs and refugees; 
•    Pursuing protection and solutions for refugees, IDPs, returnees and stateless persons;
•    Preventing and reducing statelessness by building on the outcomes of the Ministerial Conference on Statelessness in February 2015 in Abidjan;
•    Supporting the development of a legal, strategic and policy framework regarding the protection and solutions for refugees, IDPs, returnees, stateless persons and other persons of concern through advocacy, capacity-building and technical assistance;
•    Enhancing and broadening partnerships with relevant actors, including international non-governmental organizations to ensure that the response to protection and assistance needs is more effective and efficient;
•    Strengthening and broadening collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to positively influence subregional policies that incorporate international standards for the protection of displaced populations.