Kampala Convention: Kalu reacts as President Tinubu signs his bill for the protection of internally displaced persons in Nigeria

Kampala Convention: Kalu reacts as President Tinubu signs his bill for the protection of internally displaced persons in Nigeria

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu reacted as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), also known as the Kampala Convention, to strengthen humanitarian protection and uphold the rights and dignity of displaced citizens.

Titled “An 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”, the bill which received presidential assent in February 2026 bears the name of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives as the lead sponsor along with 6 other legislators including Hon. Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, Hon. Khadijat Bukar Ibrahim, Hon. Blessing Onuh, Hon. Nasiru Shehu, Hon. Felix Uche Nwaeke and Hon. Steve Fatoba as co-sponsor.

The piece of legislation previously passed by both houses of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, ultimately seeks to domesticate and implement the African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria.

It also seeks to eliminate the root causes of internal displacement in Nigeria in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and other relevant international laws and instruments to which Nigeria is a party.

It will be recalled that Nigeria, together with 32 other members of the African Union, initiated ratification during the Kampala Convention in 2009.

The 32 countries include Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Congo, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Republic, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, eSwatini, Togo, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The objectives of the legislation are to provide a legal and institutional framework for the prevention, mitigation and elimination of the root causes of internal displacement; provide measures for protection, assistance and durable solutions for internally displaced persons in Nigeria; ensure the protection of the human rights of internally displaced persons in line with the provisions of the Constitution, relevant laws and international instruments to which Nigeria is a party; provide for the obligations, responsibilities and roles of government agencies (“competent authorities”) and non-state actors; and provide a comprehensive and gender-responsive framework for national response, coordination and collaboration for protection, assistance and humanitarian interventions related to internal displacement.

Others must promote solidarity, cooperation, durable solutions and mutual support among States Parties to the Convention, States Parties and non-State actors, competent authorities and non-State actors in collaboration with relevant agencies, in order to combat displacement and address its consequences.

Available reports state that Nigeria faces serious long-term humanitarian crises with millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs), struggling with extreme poverty, hunger, disease and lack of security in mostly informal camps.

This is mainly due to the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, and natural disasters.

In essence, the domestication of the Kampala Convention marks a significant step towards protecting IDPs in Nigeria as it is expected to control overcrowding of shelters, under-resourcing and limited access to healthcare and education.

In his reaction to the incident, Vice President Kalu praised President Tinubu for signing the law, saying it had put a human face on the suffering of IDPs, demonstrating his commitment to addressing their plight.

He urged Nigerians to support government efforts in implementing the Kampala Convention.

“We must work together to address the humanitarian crisis and provide lasting solutions to internally displaced people. The international community is also called upon to work with Nigeria to address the root causes of displacement,” he said.