Cases of Internal Displacements in Nigeria: Background and Causes of Internal Displac

Reasons for displacement in Nigeria
According to Okpe, Nigeria has been affected by recurrent internal conflicts and generalized violence since the end of military rule and the return to democracy in 1999. The systematic and overlapping patterns of inequality in the country have been described as “breeding grounds” for conflict. As a result, the country is faced with the ongoing challenge of responding to a fluctuating but always sizeable internally displaced population.
Nigeria is made up of an extremely complex web of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. Conflicts have been triggered by disputes over access to land, citizenship and broader questions of identity, particularly between people considered indigenous to an area and those regarded as settlers. Indigenous groups have routinely prevented settlers from owning land or businesses, or accessing jobs and education, inevitably causing tensions. According to a strategic conflict assessment carried out by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in 2002, the return to democracy and the competition for the new political opportunities had led to increased violence. Local competition for resources has often been aggravated by “inter-elite” rivalries over privileges such as political and public service appointments, oversight of projects and admission into schools...read the full article at http://www.infodailies.com/cases-of-...nt-in-nigeria/