New Report: Internally Displaced Persons in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
A Decade of Protracted Displacement and Systematic Denial
After months of intensive field research, we are releasing a comprehensive report documenting the humanitarian crisis facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s capital city—a crisis that government authorities claim does not exist.
The Reality on the Ground
Our IDP Community Liaison, Enoch Yohanna, along with Executive Secretary Uzoamaka D’Grace, conducted extensive primary research across eight IDP camps in the Federal Capital Territory. What we have documented stands in stark contradiction to official government statements:
- 12,000-18,000 displaced persons currently living in FCT camps
- 10-11 years of protracted displacement since 2014
- 8 documented settlements across Abuja
- Zero official government recognition or support
The Camps
The report provides detailed profiles of each camp:
- Wassa – Over 5,000 IDPs, the largest camp in FCT
- New Kuchingoro – 1,550-2,000 residents
- Durumi – Facing constant demolition threats
- Waru – 10 infant deaths from malnutrition documented
- Karamajiji – Over 1,000 displaced persons
- Malaysian Garden – Residents facing eviction from uncompleted buildings
- Kabusa – Hundreds living in makeshift shelters
- Dako/Dogon Gada – Informal settlement without basic services
A Tale of Two Realities
In 2015, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officially documented these IDP camps as part of the humanitarian response to the Boko Haram crisis. Camp locations were mapped, populations were assessed, and needs were documented.
Today, nearly a decade later, these same displaced persons remain in the same locations. But now, the UNHCR asserts that “there are no IDP camps in Abuja.”
This denial has devastating consequences:
- No government healthcare services in any camp
- No official education programs for thousands of school-age children
- No WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) infrastructure – leading to widespread open defecation and contaminated water
- Constant eviction threats – Durumi camp was partially demolished in 2022, leaving 130+ persons homeless. Portions of New Kuchingoro were bulldozed in Nov. 2024.
- Complete dependence on inconsistent charity and NGO support
The National Security Dimension
This is not just a humanitarian crisis—it’s a ticking time bomb.
Nigeria has an estimated 10-12 million internally displaced persons nationally. Studies show that 50-60% of displaced youth will be radicalized by 2030 without intervention.
Do the math: 6-7 million potential jihadist recruits by 2030.
Nigeria is the 6th most populous nation on earth, with a median age of just 18. Boko Haram, ISIS, and al-Qaeda have relocated operations to northern Nigeria. The ingredients for catastrophe are all present.
But there’s an alternative. Education transforms displaced youth. We’ve seen it in our Arise Academy schools: children arrive “wanting to go back and kill” and leave “wanting to go back and rebuild.”
Education is the vaccine against radicalization. But it requires recognition, resources, and action.
What This Report Provides
This 27 page report includes:
Comprehensive Documentation:
- Detailed profiles of all 8 camps with population data, conditions, and challenges
- Cross-cutting analysis of WASH crisis, health emergencies, and protection issues
- Historical context showing UNHCR’s 2015 recognition of these camps
Critical Analysis:
- How government denial perpetuates the crisis
- The radicalization pipeline and national security implications
- Why this matters for regional and global stability
Actionable Recommendations:
- Immediate recognition and protection measures
- Emergency humanitarian interventions
- Education and counter-radicalization programs
- Durable solutions for permanent resettlement or return
- International community engagement strategies
Why This Matters Now
The window for preventive action is closing. A generation of displaced children is growing up in extreme poverty, without education, without opportunity, and without hope.
Every day of inaction is a day that extremist recruiters have the advantage.
Every child who ages out of school without education is a potential recruit lost.
Every demolition that destroys what little displaced families have built is another grievance exploited by those who offer violence as the solution.
The international community—particularly the United States government—must engage on this issue now. This report provides the documentation needed to:
- Challenge official denial with irrefutable evidence
- Inform policy decisions with accurate data
- Support humanitarian interventions with detailed needs assessments
- Justify counter-radicalization investments with security analysis
Download the Report
This report represents months of field research, documentation, and analysis. It is intended for policymakers, humanitarian organizations, media, donors, and anyone concerned about the intersection of humanitarian crises and national security.
We encourage widespread distribution and citation. The more people who understand the reality of this crisis, the harder it becomes to deny.
What You Can Do
- Read and share the report – Help break through the wall of denial
- Contact your representatives – If you’re American, ask them to raise this issue with Nigerian authorities
- Support our work – Africa Arise runs three Arise Academy schools serving 600 displaced children, with a fourth campus under construction. GIVE HERE
- Pray – For the displaced families, for wisdom for leaders, and for justice
The displaced persons of Nigeria deserve better than a decade of denial and abandonment. Their children deserve education, opportunity, and hope—not radicalization and violence.
This report is a step toward accountability. But accountability requires action.
About Africa Arise USA | International
Africa Arise USA | International operates schools for displaced children in the FCT, providing free, full-time, high-quality education as a counter-radicalization strategy. We are a division of Mike Arnold Ministries, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Website: www.letusriseafrica.org
Report Citation:
Africa Arise USA | International. (2025). Internally Displaced Persons in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja: A Decade of Protracted Displacement and Systematic Denial. Primary research by Enoch Yohanna. Compiled and edited by Mike Arnold.