Nigeria — Stability Index Overview Round 2 – March 2022

In the BAY states of North-east Nigeria (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe), various conflict escalations have been noted in recent times. The security situation remains unpredictable and leads to fluid mobility. Some violent attacks by NSAG (Non-State Armed Groups) were recorded in the last months of 2021 against IDPs, returnees and aid workers. At present, the humanitarian situation is rapidly approaching famine levels and is characterised by high levels of food insecurity, malnutrition and exposure to diseases.

Additionally, recent efforts by the Borno State Government (BSG) to shut down displacement camps in the urban centres of Borno State have created several risks and hardships. Many IDPs who resided in the camps have now integrated in camps and host communities in their LGAs of origin. In most cases, the security situation in areas of origin is still considered unsafe and does not allow for a safe return to their villages. The influx of IDPs in the respective LGAs has resulted in additional pressure on already stretched facilities and services across the camps and host communities.

In order to find durable solutions for internal displacement — whether through return to communities of origin, local integration, or relocation — and to prevent new displacements in the region, it is critical to understand the relative levels of stability in locations hosting returnees or displaced populations. Therefore, IOM has launched the Stability Index (SI) in Nigeria, to evaluate the stability of areas hosting returnees or displaced populations. The SI seeks to understand which factors influence a location's stability, which can inform priority programmatic interventions along the humanitarian, peace and development nexus in order to strengthen the resilience and stability and prevent future forced displacements.

This report presents the result from the second Stability Index round conducted in January 2022 in Nigeria’s BAY states (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe).