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Several incidents of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have been reported in various nations around the world. Nigeria is one of these countries where citizens have been forced to flee their ancestral homes. Internal displacement in Nigeria is caused by a variety of factors, raising major problems. Natural disasters and human actions, such as flooding, environmental hazards, war, intra-ethnic disputes between ethnic/religious groups, politically motivated crises, attacks by Fulani herders, bandits, kidnappers, and Boko Haram insurgency, are among these causes. Displacement disrupts the life activities of the people, results in the loss of their means of livelihood, and creates difficulty in housing situations in their host communities. They experienced health and security challenges, as well as disruptions in children’s education, and this situation is compounded for vulnerable groups, such as women, the elderly, and children. As a result, the displaced cannot earn a living, contribute to their local economies, or participate in their socioeconomic growth. When displacement occurs, displaced children have difficulty accessing education and other socioeconomic needs. The lack of education provisions for internally displaced children violates their right to education, and the benefits of other human rights. It would affect their quality of life and the quality of democracy in the country. This violation of the right to education is contrary to the provisions of Section 2(1) of the Free, Compulsory, Universal Basic Education Act 2004, Section 15 of the Child’s Right Act 2003, and Section 18 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and other international instruments which states "Every government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory, and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age," according to these requirements. Education benefits include gaining knowledge, improving skills and talents, and enhancing a country's economic strength, development, and sustainability. A country's ability to appropriately adjust to changing development is highly tied to its educated population for sustainable development and the benefits that come with it. The inability of children, even internally displaced children, to attend school is the basis and root of poverty in a country. This research examines the social and educational rights of internally displaced children in Nigeria, its relationship to other rights and the quality of democracy. This thesis is based on doctrinal and empirical research that includes primary and secondary data sources, and visits to chosen internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Nigeria. The study revealed that most internally displaced children do not have access to education and other socio-economic rights, thereby depriving them of the benefits of other human rights and consequently affecting their quality of life and the tenets of democracy. Furthermore, the study found that when the government fails to provide education for internally displaced children, Section 6(6)(C) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended in 2018), makes enforcement of these rights non-justiciable. The primary sourcesinclude relevant national laws and regional and international instruments, the secondary sources are journal articles, internet sources, periodicals, law reports, and newspapers. The research is in five chapters and provides the findings and recommendations.
A Critical Appraisal of the Social and Educational Rights of the Internally Displaced Children in Nigeria: Their Relationship to Other Rights, and the Quality of Democracy.
- PhD thesis
- english
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- Children Rights