The Nigerian Senate has passed the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (Domestication and Enforcement) Bill, 2025, through its third reading.
This bill aims to domesticate the Kampala Convention, a regional treaty adopted by the African Union in 2009 to protect and assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa.
The convention establishes a framework for preventing displacement, providing assistance to those displaced, and finding durable solutions for their return or reintegration.
Nigeria signed the Kampala Convention in 2009 but has yet to formally domesticate it into national law.
The bill was sponsored by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and passed by the House before being forwarded to the Senate for concurrence.
The Senate passed the bill after considering and adopting recommendations presented by the Senate Leader, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi.
The passage of this bill is a significant step towards protecting and assisting IDPs in Nigeria.
