Most internal displacements in Nigeria, about 94% of all displacements in 2022, were caused by natural disasters, with the remaining 6% caused by conflicts and violence, though the number of internally displaced persons due to conflicts and violence in Nigeria remains higher.
According to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), disaster displacement is generally temporary, where people can return home relatively quickly after an evacuation.
While this applies to people displaced by natural disasters, it is different for those diplaced by conflicts and violence
According to data from the internal displacement monitoring centre, most internal displacements in last year were caused by disasters resulting from flooding. Over 569,000 farmlands and 26 states in Nigeria were impacted by the greatest flooding in over ten years in 2022, which resulted in over 2.4 million internal displacements.
Additionally, in 2022, conflicts and violence in 5 regions of Nigeria led to around 148,000 displaced people.
Internally displaced individuals are people forced to leave their homes but remain within their country’s borders.
The highest number of displaced people in almost a decade occurred in Nigeria in 2022, with 2.4 million people. It was also the most in sub-Saharan Africa in the year.
The huge floods between June and November were major contributors to the increase, and Kogi and Anambra were the most impacted. The southern state of Bayelsa in the Niger river delta recorded half of the displacements.
On the other hand, Boko Haram and other non-state armed groups are primarily responsible for the biggest number of displacements in Nigeria. The highest number of displaced people due to conflicts and violence took place in 2015 and totalled 737,000.
Over time, the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) caused by violence and conflicts has risen annually. In contrast, the total number of IDPs caused by natural disasters reduced in 2021 and rose in 2022 due to an increase in numerous new disaster-related displacements. Every year, internal displacement occurs due to extreme weather events like floods, storms, bushfires, and heat waves that intensify climate change.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) states that catastrophe displacement is typically transient and that following an evacuation, most individuals may return home fairly quickly. As opposed to camps or community shelters, most prefer to find refuge with host families or in rented apartments. However, mega-disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis can result in the prolonged relocation of millions of people.
Africa is the region with the greatest number of IDPs worldwide. Nigeria has the third-highest population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa.