President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons IDPs, known as the Kampala Convention, into law, marking a major step in strengthening humanitarian protection and safeguarding the rights of displaced Nigerians.
The legislation, officially titled “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,” was sponsored by Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu with six co-sponsors including Hon. Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, Hon. Khadijat Bukar Ibrahim, Hon. Blessing Onuh, Hon. Nasiru Shehu, Hon. Felix Uche Nwaeke, and Hon. Steve Fatoba.
Passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, the law domesticates and enforces the Kampala Convention in Nigeria, aiming to eliminate the root causes of internal displacement and ensure protection for IDPs in line with national and international instruments. Since 2009, Nigeria and 32 other African Union member states, including Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe, have ratified the Convention.
The Act provides a legal and institutional framework to prevent, mitigate, and resolve internal displacement, safeguard human rights, and define responsibilities of government agencies and non state actors. It also promotes gender sensitive approaches, stakeholder cooperation, and durable solutions for displaced populations.
Nigeria faces severe humanitarian crises with millions of IDPs living in informal camps affected by poverty, hunger, disease, and insecurity caused by Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, farmer herder conflicts, and natural disasters.
Deputy Speaker Kalu praised President Tinubu for giving “a human face to the suffering of IDPs” and urged national and international collaboration to implement the law effectively, ensuring improved access to healthcare, education, and structured national responses for displaced persons.
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