Nigeria: Evictions

(asked on 4th March 2022) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she is offering to the Government of Nigeria in relation to (a) the human rights implications of mass forced evictions and (b) effective practices of engagement with people living in areas targeted for redevelopment.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 14th March 2022

UN figures indicate over 2.5 million Nigerians have been forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict. The UK remains committed to working with Nigeria to respond to the causes and consequences of conflict. We have provided £425 million of humanitarian support in North East Nigeria since 2017, which has supported up to 1.5 million people. I held lengthy and detailed discussions with regional governors, and community and religious leaders, about the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, including in the North East, during my recent visit to Nigeria.

We are concerned by recent closures of camps for displaced persons in Borno State which have relocated over 100,000 people. These people continue to be in need of humanitarian assistance and in some cases are moving to more insecure and ill-equipped locations. We have expressed our concern to Nigerian authorities at Federal and State levels, encouraging safe management of displacement that upholds global good practice. We are working closely with our partners on the ground and other diplomatic missions to monitor the situation and to promote sustainable approaches which ensures any movement is voluntary, safe, informed and dignified.

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