DIMENSION AND CHALLENGES OF POVERTY AMONG INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IDPS IN BORNO STATE A CASE STUDY OF MAIDUGURI

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Poverty and its challenges have taken a new level and dimension in the state, specifically among internally displaced persons in Borno state, Nigeria. Poverty, they say is a vital conception which is taking precedence in the state and has become a major challenge to tackle. The state functions to advance this conception. It is a major responsibility of the state. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in particular states that “The welfare of the people shall be the primary concern of the government” (FRN, 1999). This is not overstating or overemphasizing to state that the constitutional duty of Nigerian government to try and eradicate poverty from the state has in one way or the other weakened, perhaps because of the inadequacy of government to make available an affordable and safe environment for lives and properties and even stretch to the economic activities. The high and increased level of poverty in Northern Nigeria, Borno state precisely has increased over time; the frequent death cases due to infections from unhealthy and dirty environments, hunger, etc, indifferent parts of the country is a distasteful situation leaving them homeless. Precisely, for the purpose of reducing poverty rate or eradicating it completely, the Federal Government of Nigeria has taking measures like encouraging widows and widowers, empowering youths to mention but a few. Irrespective of these measures and eorts, poverty, insecurity, health challenges, etc in the north and other parts of the country has therefore remained unabatedly unchanged. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has gained some currency in Nigeria, specifically in war-devastated and unhappystates, including Nigeria. In some parts of the state, millions of people, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the rest who are affected by conflict, insurgence, have been affected by the mental health, poverty and social consequences of crisis. A lot have and are still suffering from lack, mental distress caused by traumatic experiences of being a witness or been bent to gross violations of human rights such as killings, torture, sexual violence, family separation and displacement from home.

The level or dimension of poverty as a result of the unrelenting activities of the insurgency in the north is the one that has caught the attention of foreign and domestic authorities. In Nigeria, the incidence of internal displacement occurred chiefly because it has ethnic, religious and political subdued utterance. Internally displaced people (IDPs), in every state are mainly more of women and children and they encounter challenges such as poverty, abuse, insecurity and restrictions on their freedom of movement. Many are traumatized by the challenges that pushed them to flee and are scared of returning. Most of them live and share resources with host communities. The full effect of displacement in Nigeria is not yet clear, because figures are most times only made available after larger-scale crises. Both the Nigerian authorities and the international community have unfairly concentrated on north-east Nigeria, Borno state. It is on the above that this paper seeks to evaluate dimension and challenges of poverty among internally displaced persons in borno state.

1.2. STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM

The menace of insecurity in Nigeria and especially the north eastern part of the country chiefly as a result of the boko haram insurgency has led to the increase of poverty in the land as displaced people do not have access to the basic necessities of life. The menace of poverty in Nigeria being an offshoot of insecurity has led to the poor economic development of Nigeria and has crippled investment in this part of the country thus heightening the menace of poverty.