Tinubu Signs Kampala Convention into Law to Shield IDPs; Deputy Speaker Kalu’s Bill Ends 17-Year Wait for Legal Protection

In a landmark move for Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens, President Bola Tinubu on Monday, March 9, 2026, officially signed the bill domesticating the African Union (Kampala) Convention into law. This historic assent transforms Nigeria’s approach to internal displacement from mere “charity” into a legally binding state obligation, ending nearly two decades of legislative back-and-forth.

The new Act, championed by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, provides a comprehensive “safety net” for the millions of Nigerians displaced by conflict, banditry, and ecological disasters. For the first time, the rights of IDPs to healthcare, education, and safe return are not just policy goals but statutory requirements. “By signing this bill, the President has given a human face to the suffering of our displaced brothers and sisters,” Deputy Speaker Kalu noted in a victory statement from the National Assembly.

Beyond providing food and shelter, the law targets the very “root causes” of displacement. It mandates the government to prevent arbitrary displacement and establishes an Internal Displacement Coordination Committee. This body is tasked with bringing a “State of Harmony” to the often-fragmented relief efforts between the military, NEMA, and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Crucially, the law also prioritizes “durable solutions,” moving away from permanent camp life and focusing on the safe reintegration of families into their ancestral homes.

With structured funding now guaranteed by law, the era of IDPs “begging for help” is officially over. As the implementation phase begins, the focus shifts to the newly formed coordination committee to ensure that the ₦2.3 million IDPs currently identified across the North-East and North-Central regions finally feel the full protection of the Nigerian state.