By Our Reporter
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the bill to domesticate the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria.
The legislation, also known as the Kampala Convention Act, seeks to strengthen humanitarian protection and uphold the rights and dignity of displaced citizens.
In a statement, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who sponsored the bill alongside six other lawmakers, described the President’s assent as a significant demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the plight of displaced Nigerians with empathy and urgency.
Kalu commends President Tinubu for giving legal backing to the African Union convention, noting that the law would strengthen coordination among federal and state humanitarian agencies.
He says the Act will improve conditions in IDP camps and host communities by addressing long-standing challenges such as overcrowded shelters, inadequate resources, and limited access to healthcare and education for displaced persons.
Other objectives of the legislation include tackling the root causes of internal displacement in Nigeria by giving effect to the Kampala Convention declaration in 2009, to which Nigeria and 32 other African nations are signatories, as well as aligning its provisions with the 1999 Constitution as amended.
