NHRC, UNHCR Call for Protection of IDPs’ Rights

By: Michael Mike

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) calls for the protection of the rights of internally displaced persons and forcibly displaced persons in Nigeria.

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, alongside national and international stakeholders, convened a high-level policy consultation themed The Protection of IDPs in Nigeria Through Durable Solutions: Strengthening Collaboration Between Governments, Civil Society Organizations, and Humanitarian Partners”. The forum focused on practical strategies to safeguard the rights, dignity, and well-being of displaced Nigerians.

Alia highlighted his administration’s efforts to bring displaced persons closer to their ancestral homes, combining security, autonomy, and dignity. “Where we are as a state today is focused on relocating IDPs as close as possible to their ancestral homes. Before they can fully return, the security situation must be carefully assessed, and in the meantime, we have begun acquiring portions of land in their primary local government headquarters. Here, they can select artisans to construct homes—permanent or temporary, as they choose.

This initiative ensures that displaced persons have options: they can eventually return fully to their ancestral homes while maintaining access to their local headquarters. These lands can serve residential or commercial purposes, providing flexibility and empowering displaced persons to rebuild their lives with dignity and autonomy,” he said.

Addressing misconceptions regarding conflict in Benue, the governor urged accurate representation to ensure effective humanitarian response. “In my state of Benue, we do not experience religious, ethnic, racial, national, or state genocide. While there are security challenges and we have lost lives over the years due to conflicts between agro-pastoralists and farmers, these incidents do not meet the United Nations definition of genocide. Unfortunately, every issue in Nigeria today is politicized, including the plight of IDPs, and this misrepresentation distorts public perception. It is crucial to understand the true nature of the situation so that interventions are based on reality, not exaggeration or political gain,” he explained.

He further emphasized that displacement requires evidence-based, collaborative solutions that uphold human rights and address systemic gaps. “Displacement remains a painful reality for thousands of Nigerians, disrupting lives, livelihoods, and communities. The human rights concerns that accompany displacement—loss of shelter, limited access to healthcare, disrupted education, insecurity, and socioeconomic exclusion—demand a collective and urgent response. I am encouraged that this consultation brings together governors, attorney generals, members of the national and state assemblies, MDAs, civil society organizations, development partners, community-based actors, and representatives of IDP-led organizations.

This inclusive platform demonstrates the seriousness of our national commitment to tackling the root causes of displacement and providing durable solutions that restore hope and dignity to affected populations,” he noted.

Reaffirming the state’s commitment to displaced persons, Governor Alia said, “In Benue State, we remain fully committed to safeguarding the dignity and rights of all displaced persons. Our administration collaborates with national and international partners to provide humanitarian support, strengthen security, and create avenues for sustainable reintegration and recovery. Displacement must never become a permanent condition. Every Nigerian deserves to live in safety, with hope and opportunity. Ultimately, a true measure of our humanity is revealed not by how safe we are, but by how fiercely we protect the rights and dignity of those who have been displaced. These individuals are where they are not by choice or fault, and only God knows when any of us—or our families—might face similar circumstances.”

Alia urged participants to focus on three key areas: strengthening policy and legal frameworks to ensure laws genuinely protect IDPs; addressing protection gaps using evidence from field monitoring and displaced persons’ experiences; and developing durable solutions, including safe return, resettlement, or local integration, with strong coordination, predictable funding, and security guarantees.

On his part, the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu highlighted the importance of leveraging data from Human Rights Monitors and Community Protection Action Groups to inform policy and interventions. “Through the dedication of our Human Rights Monitors and Community Protection Action Group (CPAG) members, valuable evidence-based data has been generated to guide protection programming, advocacy, policy engagement, and practical interventions by the government and humanitarian actors in Nigeria,” he said.

He also noted the gendered dimension of displacement. “Furthermore, our cumulative figures from February – September confirm that Females (72,119) have consistently outnumbered Males (62,403), confirming the feminization of displacement. Children remain the single largest demographic at 64,058 cumulatively, underscoring persistent vulnerability among minors,” he added.

Acknowledging systemic challenges in monitoring, Ojukwu said, “Limited access to remote or insecure locations, inadequate logistics and communication support, as well as low digital literacy among our CPAG members, are critical issues that limit their effectiveness. We must address the findings from our internal reviews, ensuring that policy and legal frameworks support their efforts, including resolving issues of inadequate funding and securing necessary field resources.”

He stressed the importance of accountability. “On accountability, we must ensure that the cases referred to the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with protection mandates or other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) are pursued transparently, sending a clear message that violations against FDPs will not go unpunished,” he said, urging stakeholders to transform displacement from despair into dignity. “This is a solemn test of our collective resolve. I urge all participants to engage candidly, focus on actionable solutions, and leave this room with a renewed determination to transform displacement from a state of despair into one of dignity and recovery.”

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Benard Doro, called for a shift from emergency relief to sustainable recovery. “The theme of this consultation—‘The Protection of IDPs in Nigeria with Durable Solutions, Strengthening Collaboration Between Government, Civil Society Organisations and Humanitarian Partners’—signals that we must now shift from temporary relief to sustainable recovery, from reactive response to rights-based protection, and from fragmented interventions to unified human development outcomes, ensuring that all displaced persons are treated with dignity, their rights safeguarded, and their long-term needs effectively addressed,” he said.

He emphasized that IDPs are citizens whose constitutional rights must be protected. “Internal displacement in Nigeria is not merely a humanitarian situation; it is a human rights imperative and a constitutional obligation. IDPs are not statistics, they are citizens entitled to full constitutional protection, and as such, our interventions must recognize their dignity, address their vulnerabilities, and ensure their comprehensive inclusion in the development and protection framework of the nation,” he said.

The Minister further urged operationalizing policies and strengthening coordination across agencies. “To achieve meaningful protection and durable solutions for internally displaced persons, we must operationalize the National Policy on IDPs with measurable state-level action plans, strengthen data governance, accountability, and inter-agency coordination, ensuring that NHRC field data is fully integrated into national planning. This approach will allow us to scale up livelihood, health, education, and protection interventions, promote reintegration and resilience, and harmonize the efforts of humanitarian, development, and human rights actors across all levels of government, leaving no displaced person behind.”

He said with a call to transform displacement from vulnerability to dignity. “Protecting the rights of displaced Nigerians is not merely a humanitarian obligation; it is a constitutional and moral responsibility. Displacement is a lived experience affecting millions of our citizens. Let us leave this consultation with renewed resolve—to transform the status of displaced people from despair to dignity, from vulnerability to recovery, and from crisis to opportunity. Let us act together, decisively, and sustainably, ensuring that our interventions have measurable impact, restore livelihoods, uphold human dignity, and provide hope and resilience for every internally displaced person across the nation,” he said.

Representating the country representative Ajun Jain of United Nationals High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR)Timothy Zandok , emphasized the global responsibility to protect displaced persons and support national institutions. “Forcibly displaced persons, whether internally displaced, refugees, returnees, or stateless, are often uniquely and adversely disadvantaged within our communal setting. Beyond the data and news headlines, it is crucial to delve deeper into what their lives truly are like, to understand their experiences, and to ensure they are included and supported within our collective capacity as global citizens,” he said .

He further noted the importance of collective responsibility and actionable advocacy. “The experiences of forcibly displaced persons, and what we can collectively do to ensure their inclusion and conservation, represent a responsibility we owe to each other as global citizens. It is for these reasons that we gather, to share expertise, draw upon our experiences, and make impactful recommendations that strengthen the protection and welfare of those whose lives have been disrupted by displacement.

UNHCR highly commends the National Human Rights Commission for boldly undertaking its mandate to protect forcibly displaced persons, and we commit to continuing our support for your leadership and ownership of this responsibility. Through sharing their voices and advocacy, we can collectively contribute to creating an enhanced, protective environment for all displaced persons,”.

NHRC, UNHCR Call for Protection of IDPs’ Rights