Conflict, Displacement, and Local Governance Capacity in Northeast Nigeria: Evidence from Adamawa and Yobe States

This study examines how prolonged armed conflict and large-scale internal displacement have eroded local governance capacity in Adamawa and Yobe States in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone, and the implications for post-conflict development planning. The Boko Haram insurgency has devastated communities, disrupted local government operations, displaced millions of persons, and created governance vacuums that undermine both security and development in the affected areas. Using the Fragile States Framework and the Conflict-Sensitive Governance Model, this research employs a qualitative comparative case study design, gathering data from 30 key informants per state including displaced persons representatives, local government officials, humanitarian agencies, security sector actors, and academic governance experts. Secondary data includes UNHCR displacement statistics, Adamawa and Yobe State emergency reports, OCHA situation reports, and recent academic literature on conflict and governance in the Lake Chad Basin. Thematic analysis and comparative case methodology are applied. The study fills a critical gap by examining how conflict reshapes local government institutional capacity, staff retention, revenue generation, and community relationships in non-Borno northeast states that receive relatively less academic attention. Findings are expected to reveal the cumulative erosion of local governance through staff flight, infrastructure destruction, and community trust breakdown. Recommendations include a post-conflict local governance recovery strategy prioritizing governance reconstruction alongside physical infrastructure rehabilitation. Keywords: Conflict, displacement, local governance, Northeast Nigeria, Adamawa, Yobe.