ACADEMIA Letters Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, PhD Candidate in Development Studies, University of Lisbon, Portugal Abstract The primary purpose of this paper, part of an ongoing PhD research work, is to attempt an understanding of the structural barriers and coping strategies of forcibly displaced populations, specifically internally displaced persons (IDPs), caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-eastern part of Nigeria. Many of the displaced from the insurgency have taken refuge at various unofficial sites in the country’s capital, Abuja. This paper argues that IDPs begin from the context of displacement and loss, different from other groups of migrants and are faced with distinct barriers that induce them to adopt varying coping strategies. This research will fundamentally examine these distinctive structural barriers and coping strategies to understand IDPs as both victims and actors of change. Keywords: coping strategies, structural barriers, internally displaced persons, northeast Nigeria Introduction Several studies and humanitarian reports on forced migration tend to emphasise the facticity of displacement and the dire socio-economic conditions of refugees and IDPs (Okeke-Ihejirika Academia Letters, December 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, l54923@phd.iseg.ulisboa.pt Citation: Ba-Ana-Itenebe, C. (2021). Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Academia Letters, Article 4315. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4315. 1 et al, 2020) . Only limited research, which seeks to view displaced populations as victims and actors of change, exists. Studies that provide critical analysis on understanding forced displacement through the lens of structural barriers and coping strategies of displaced persons different from other poor populations are limited and a gap in the literature. Theoretical Framework This paper adopts the Livelihoods Theory. In applying the livelihood theory to understanding structural barriers and coping strategies of internally displaced persons, this paper relies on a livelihood in conflict definition by Jacobsen (2002), In communities facing conflict and displacement, livelihoods comprise how people access and mobilize resources enabling them to increase their economic security, thereby reducing the vulnerability created and exacerbated by conflict, and how they pursue goals necessary for survival and possible return (p.99). Jacobsen further adds that livelihood pursuit in conflict and forced displacement situations refer to the availability, extent, and mix of resources and the strategiesadopted to access and use these resources, including the goaland changing priorities of displaced people. This definition and adaptation of the livelihood theory are apt for this study as IDPs, like many other forced migrants, are a vulnerable group that must begin from a position of loss and constantly subjected to barriers and exclusionary processes by the mere fact of their displacement. Literature review To understand the various structural barriers and coping strategies of IDPs, a definitional understanding of internally displaced persons is pertinent. The most widely recognised definition of IDPs is derived from the 1998 UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, which describes IDPs as; Persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border (Kalin, 2016, p. 163). Structural barriers affecting displaced populations, whether due to conflict/violence, environmental factors, or development-induced factors, has been well documented in several works of literature on forced migration in the form of refugees and IDP challenges during and after displacement. Structural barriers are constraint and exclusion mechanisms that make it Academia Letters, December 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, l54923@phd.iseg.ulisboa.pt Citation: Ba-Ana-Itenebe, C. (2021). Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Academia Letters, Article 4315. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4315. 2 difficult for IDPs to access or regain livelihoods (Jacobsen, 2016). These structural barriers range from physical security and integrity issues to basic necessities of life, including access to livelihood, health, education, and social, economic, cultural, and political rights. On the other hand, coping strategies entail a series of activities and processes that displaced populations develop and engage in to overcome structural barriers. These include reliance on social networks and families, low wage labour, petty trading, and negative coping strategies such as prostitution, meal reduction and illicit businesses. Scholars in the above fields of study include Boutin and Nkurunziza (2001), Vincent and Sørensen (2001), Brun (2003), Brun & Lund (2005), Birkeland (2009), Akume (2015), Itumo & Nwobashi (2016), Jacobsen (2016), Onifade & Osinowo (2019), Gbigbiddje et al. (2020), Okeke-Ihejirika et al. (2020) and others. Including reports from organisations such as IDMC (2010), OXFAM (2015), UNHCR (2015), WFP (2016) and UNDP (2020). Abuja is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria and the political seat of power. Adewale (2016) notes that Abuja is saturated daily with the influx of IDPs from frontline states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. This status quo has remained following the continued insurgency activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group. International Organization for Migration (2019) notes that of Nigeria’s over 181 million population, more than two million are internally displaced. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre places the exact figure at 2,730,000 as of December 31, 2020 (IDMC, 2021). There are about seven locations where IDPs can be found in Abuja. While many of the IDPs have abandoned these camps/sites to live within host communities, two of the sites - New Kuchingoro and Durumi Area 1 visited for this study still had many displaced people living in them. Interviews and observation at these two camps, in addition to interviews with FEMA officials and a local non-governmental organisation, formed the primary data for this study. Methodology This paper benefits from an exploratory field visit to IDP sites in Abuja conducted between September and October 2021, where qualitative interviews with IDP leaders were conducted. Key informant interviews with officials of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and staff of a local humanitarian non-governmental organisation operating in IDPs sites in Abuja. In addition to the review of extant scholarly literature. Academia Letters, December 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, l54923@phd.iseg.ulisboa.pt Citation: Ba-Ana-Itenebe, C. (2021). Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Academia Letters, Article 4315. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4315. 3 Findings and Discussions Documents examined and discussions during interviews reveal that the two camps were established in 2014, with the New Kuchingoro IDP site currently hosting a population of 1,724 IDPs with 264 households. While the Durumi, Area 1 camp-site had about 2,830 people with 215 households. The primary structural barrier identified by IDPs in both sites is the unofficial recognition of their status in Abuja as displaced people in need of particular care and support by the FCT administration. The IDPs note that the Administration is hell-bent on sending them back to their places of displacement in the country’s northeast, which remains insecure. This situation has prevented humanitarian organisations from providing direct, sustained support to them while IDPs in the northeast enjoy enormous humanitarian and government support. The above position contrasts with the FEMA officials, who claim that many of the IDPs in Abuja had an “entitlement mentality”. Meaning that no matter the amount of support provided, these IDPs were never appreciative or satisfied. Another significant structural barrier identified is the camp environment and land access. Over 90% of the IDPs were farmers in their places of displacement with access to land and the ability to cultivate for their livelihoods. In the camps, they cannot farm, and with limited additional skills, survival and their ability to feed themselves is extremely difficult. Similarly is the issue of access to proper health facilities, which is mainly a challenge for women and children. This situation has led to the loss of lives of a few IDPs. FEMA officials and staff of the local NGO interviewed agreed with this position. However, they quickly noted that budgetary constraints and the country’s general economic and financial condition were the significant factors behind their inability to continuously support IDPs’ health issues. Despite the above, specific coping strategies have been adopted by IDPs to get around their dire social, economic conditions. These include leaving the camps to rent farmlands at the outskirts of Abuja and engaging in joint cultivation and sharing of proceeds. This coping strategy is particularly worth noting as it has led to establishing an IDPs farmers market in Auta-Balefi, in Nassarawa state, a 40-minute drive from Abuja. Other coping strategies include • joint petty trading and savings, particularly by women • joint purchase of motorcycles for transportation purposes • provision of manual labour and reliance on family and friends • Intermittent government and NGO support and Academia Letters, December 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, l54923@phd.iseg.ulisboa.pt Citation: Ba-Ana-Itenebe, C. (2021). Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Academia Letters, Article 4315. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4315. 4 • Reliance on good-hearted individuals, religious organisations and local groups. Conclusion This brief paper, part of an ongoing PhD research work, explored the structural barriers and coping strategies of internally displaced persons in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, Abuja. It presented preliminary findings which revealed that while IDPs face structural barriers to their livelihood, they have also adopted unique strategies to overcome these barriers. Therefore, it is pertinent that scholars, government, and humanitarian organisations begin to engage IDPs both as victims and actors of change. References Adewale, S. (2016). Internally displaced persons and the challenges of survival in Abuja. African Security Review, 25(2), 176–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2016.1154475 Akume, A. (2015). The question of internally displaced persons (IDPS) in Nigeria: A reflection on present realities. 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Forced Displacement and its Impact on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North-Eastern Nigeria. ISJASSR Volume 3, Issue 1, August 2020 ISSN: 2507-1528. Academia Letters, December 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, l54923@phd.iseg.ulisboa.pt Citation: Ba-Ana-Itenebe, C. (2021). Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Academia Letters, Article 4315. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4315. 5 IDMC (2010). Azerbaijan After some 20 years, IDPs still face barriers to self-reliance. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. IDMC (2021). Nigeria Webpage. Accessed from: https://www.internal-displacement.org/ countries/nigeria IOM (2019). 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Accessed from: https:/ /data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/48601 Academia Letters, December 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, l54923@phd.iseg.ulisboa.pt Citation: Ba-Ana-Itenebe, C. (2021). Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Academia Letters, Article 4315. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4315. 7 WFP (2016). IDPs use more severe coping strategies. VAM Food Security Analysis. Accessed from: https://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/ena/wfp289479. pdf Academia Letters, December 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe, l54923@phd.iseg.ulisboa.pt Citation: Ba-Ana-Itenebe, C. (2021). Understanding Structural Barriers and Coping Strategies of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Academia Letters, Article 4315. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4315. 8