Developing a Community Security Governance Model for Internally Displaced Person Camps in North East Nigeria

Security governance in IDP camps in North East Nigeria presents unique challenges combining the vulnerabilities of displaced populations, the limitations of formal security provision, and the presence of informal power structures that require professionally designed community security models. This study developed a community security governance model for IDP camps in Borno and Adamawa States, North East Nigeria. A professional model development methodology was employed, incorporating security needs assessment surveys at four IDP camps covering 320 residents, structured interviews with 16 camp managers, 10 humanitarian security officers, and 8 traditional and community leaders, and comparative review of UNHCR community-based protection guidelines and West African regional IDP security governance frameworks. The security needs assessment identified sexual and gender-based violence (reported by 56.3 percent of women surveyed), inter-group violence between IDP cohorts (47 percent), child kidnapping within camps (38 percent), and resource competition crimes (51.3 percent) as the dominant security concerns. The governance model designed incorporates community security committees with representative IDP and host-community membership, trained community protection monitors, SGBV reporting and safe spaces, inter-group conflict mediation mechanisms, and coordination protocols with NPF, NSCDC, and military camp security actors. Expert review by nine security governance specialists confirmed the model's practical viability. The study recommends joint adoption by UNHCR Nigeria, Borno State Emergency Management Agency, and NPF Mobile Police.

Keywords: IDP camp security, community governance, North East Nigeria, humanitarian security, displacement