President Bola Tinubu has signed a new law that brings a key African Union treaty on the protection of internally displaced persons into force in Nigeria.
NewsQuest reports that the move is expected to reshape the country’s response to one of Africa’s largest displacement crises.
The bill titled “An Act to Give Effect to the Provisions of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria; and for Related Matters,” domesticates the African Union’s 2009 Kampala Convention, which sets regional standards for preventing displacement and safeguarding the rights of those forced from their homes.
Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and co‑sponsored by six lawmakers — Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, Khadijat Bukar Ibrahim, Blessing Onuh, Nasiru Shehu, Felix Uche Nwaeke and Steve Fatoba — the bill was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly before receiving President Tinubu’s assent in February.
The new law establishes a legal and institutional framework to prevent, mitigate and address the root causes of internal displacement, according to lawmakers, while also outlining obligations for authorities to provide protection, assistance and long‑term solutions for internally displaced persons, known as IDPs.
It directs that those measures be carried out in line with Nigeria’s Constitution and relevant international human rights instruments.
Our correspondent also reports that the country has grappled for more than a decade with overlapping humanitarian emergencies that have driven millions from their homes into formal camps and informal settlements.
Boko Haram’s insurgency in the North East, banditry, farmer–herder violence in many communities, and recurring floods and other natural disasters have all contributed to the scale and complexity of displacement.
In a statement in Abuja on Monday, Deputy Speaker Kalu praised President Tinubu’s decision to sign the bill and urged both Nigerians and international partners to back its implementation.
“We must work together to address the humanitarian crisis and provide durable solutions for IDPs,” he said.
Kalu also called on the international community “to partner with Nigeria in addressing the root causes of displacement.”
