Current Volume 9
Social Vices in IDP Camps and Their Implications for Post-Conflict Reconstruction: A Study of Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria
Abstract
The Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria has displaced over 3.6 million persons, creating one of the most severe humanitarian crises on the African continent. While significant scholarly attention has focused on the immediate humanitarian needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) such as food, shelter, and healthcare, the proliferation of social vices within IDP camps in Maiduguri has remained an unseen crisis profoundly undermining post-conflict reconstruction efforts in the state. This paper examines the nature and prevalence of social vices—including drug abuse, prostitution, gangsterism, child abuse, and gender-based violence—in IDP camps, with particular focus on Muna Elbadawy Camp in Maiduguri. Drawing on secondary data, government reports, and humanitarian agency documents, the paper argues that the normalization of social vices in displacement settings fundamentally undermines the prospects for sustainable post-conflict reconstruction. The paper identifies three key mechanisms through which social vices impede reconstruction: (1) the erosion of social capital and community trust necessary for reintegration; (2) the creation of intergenerational cycles of trauma and deviance; and (3) the delegitimisation of state institutions in the eyes of displaced populations. The paper concludes that addressing social vices in IDP camps is not merely a humanitarian concern but a strategic imperative for durable peace and national cohesion. Recommendations include integrating psychosocial support into camp management, strengthening community-based protection mechanisms, implementing sustainable livelihood programmes, and adopting a holistic approach that treats social vices as a symptom of deeper governance and structural failures rather than isolated behavioural problems.
Keywords
Social Vices, Internally Displaced Persons, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, IDP Camps, Nigeria, Boko Haram
Citations
IRE Journals:
Yahuza Tahir, Yakaka Abba Baba, Murjanatu Ibrahim, Mustapha Bello "Social Vices in IDP Camps and Their Implications for Post-Conflict Reconstruction: A Study of Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 12 2026 Page 2128-2138 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1719116
IEEE:
Yahuza Tahir, Yakaka Abba Baba, Murjanatu Ibrahim, Mustapha Bello
"Social Vices in IDP Camps and Their Implications for Post-Conflict Reconstruction: A Study of Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(12) https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1719116
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