EDITORIAL: Internally Displaced Persons and Declining Donor Support — A Call for Sustained Action

For years, the rationing of food — often leading to severe malnutrition — has been a grim routine in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across Nigeria.

For over two decades, the country has been engulfed in humanitarian crises of staggering proportions, largely triggered by non-state armed groups. Insurgencies by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), combined with widespread banditry, mass kidnappings, and deadly attacks by armed herdsmen, have uprooted millions. Natural disasters such as flooding have compounded the crisis, displacing even more people.

As a result, regions like Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States in the North-east — the epicenter of jihadist violence — alongside Benue, Plateau, and Niger States in the North-central, as well as Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, and Kano States in the North-west, have endured devastating humanitarian challenges, leaving communities struggling to survive.

The primary burden of supporting these displaced populations has fallen on international agencies such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP), and other global donor organizations. These bodies have provided essential food supplies and primary healthcare services to the displaced. According to the Internally Displaced Monitoring Centre (IDMC), there were 3.7 million internally displaced persons in Nigeria by the end of 2024 — a figure that continues to rise amid renewed violence in states like Benue and Plateau.

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Donor Funding Decline and Rising Hunger

Unfortunately, aid from key donors such as the WFP has dwindled significantly due to global funding shortfalls, worsened by the United States’ withdrawal of support during the Trump administration. This has left humanitarian agencies struggling to sustain life-saving programs. Trust Mlambo, WFP’s Head of Operations in the North-east, told the BBC:

“We don’t have any more to give after this month’s cycle. Our warehouses are empty, and we are desperate for any generous donations.”

To sustain IDP feeding programs and related emergencies in Nigeria and the Sahel, $620 million is urgently needed, according to WFP estimates.

Prior to this funding collapse, food rationing and child malnutrition were already severe. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that 652 malnourished children died in the first half of 2025 — double the number recorded in the same period of 2024.

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Critical Healthcare Under Threat

The North-east alone hosts 1.4 million IDPs and relies on about 150 donor-funded clinics treating malnourished citizens, mostly children. These facilities face imminent closure if funding is not restored. MSF’s Nigeria representative, Ahmed Aldikhari, revealed that this crisis has been looming since 2024, when major donors like the US, UK, and EU either withdrew or drastically reduced their contributions.

Historically, the United States has accounted for about 60% of OCHA’s humanitarian funding in Nigeria. The UN’s 2025 humanitarian report warns that 1.8 million children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe risk acute malnutrition without urgent intervention.

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Borno’s Local Response — A Model for Others

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has embraced an aggressive resettlement strategy, beginning with the relocation of 5,000 IDPs to five communities — Goniri, BulaKunye, Mayanti, Abaram, and Darajamal — enabling them to resume farming this year. This initiative is supported by the construction of 1,000 housing units and the digging of defense trenches to safeguard residents.

Zulum has also approved a six-month allowance for newly recruited Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members to help secure communities. Over four years, Borno State has spent ₦40 billion on food and essential supplies for IDPs.

This proactive approach should be replicated across other affected states.

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Philanthropy and National Responsibility

Philanthropists such as Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Femi Otedola, and Tony Elumelu should urgently respond to WFP’s appeal for increased donations. Without intervention, starvation — and the potential radicalization of hungry, vulnerable youths — could become a greater security threat. In 2024, frustrated IDPs in Dikwa and Mafa threatened to “enter the bush,” a euphemism for joining armed insurgent groups.

WFP’s Margret Van der Velden, Director for West Africa, has warned:

“Food security is national security.”
Her call echoes the urgent need for more donor support. Agencies have been visiting state governors to emphasize the seriousness of this crisis. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is particularly encouraged to step in, given its long history of funding humanitarian interventions in Nigeria.

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Structural Failures and the Way Forward

Globally, IDP camps are intended to be temporary, and the Kampala Convention outlines standards for their eventual closure. Yet in Nigeria, prolonged displacement persists due to poor governance, misplaced priorities, and corruption. The 2021 IDP Transition Framework must be fully implemented to ensure displaced persons have access to shelter, education, and livelihoods.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should strengthen its accountability, as past cases have shown relief materials being diverted. For example, in 2024, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia intercepted a truckload of aid intended for the needy.

President Bola Tinubu recently urged governors to prioritize grassroots welfare and enhance food security — a subtle rebuke of inadequate governance.

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Security First — Humanitarian Support Second

While Borno State’s 2025–2027 Strategy for Durable Solutions is commendable, it cannot replace the need to address the root causes of displacement. The Nigerian government must intensify efforts to end insurgency, kidnapping, and rural banditry.

A country cannot claim true sovereignty while large parts of its population remain exposed to violence and degradation, relying solely on foreign charities for survival. This represents both a moral failure and a governance crisis.

The Tinubu administration must act decisively — not only to improve the living conditions of IDPs but also to eliminate the insecurity that drives displacement in the first place.