Seun Bamidele
at the signing of the Greentree Agreement, little tangible support has reached
the displaced populations over the years (Kindzeka 2013; Hart 2022). Federal
and state agencies have largely shifted the burden of care to non-governmental
organizations and faith-based groups, creating a fragmented and insufficient
support system. The lack of a coordinated policy response reveals a deeper
structural disregard for displaced and marginalized communities in Nigeria’s
governance architecture (Odinkalu 2012; Otora 2022).
The consequences of this abandonment are disproportionately felt
by women, children, and youth. Displaced women face heightened risks of
gender-based violence, economic marginalization, and inadequate reproductive healthcare (Oke-Chinda 2021; Oghuvbu and Okolie 2020). Children
from displaced families suffer educational disruptions and exhibit signs of
post-traumatic stress and psychological distress due to their prolonged displacement and the loss of home, identity, and safety (Sheikh et al. 2016; Madoro
et al. 2020). Youth are increasingly drawn into informal and precarious labor
markets or local militias as a means of survival, exposing them to cycles of
violence and poverty (Dayil 2015; Ebiede et al. 2020).
The gap between state rhetoric and ground-level realities is not
merely a policy failure but a form of systemic violence that reinforces historical patterns of neglect and marginalization. Despite international attention to the Bakassi handover and assurances by the United Nations and key
actors under the Greentree Agreement framework, long-term monitoring and
assistance have been inadequate (International Peace Institute 2008; United
Nations 2008). This neglect fuels distrust among displaced populations,
undermining both domestic and cross-border peacebuilding efforts. The lack
of durable solutions such as land tenure security, citizenship documentation,
and livelihood opportunities leaves these communities in a perpetual state
of uncertainty.
Most importantly, the case of Bakassi returnees illustrates the failure
of state institutions to uphold the rights of displaced populations in the aftermath of international conflict resolution. As Baye (2010) and Ngalim (2019)
observe, the absence of inclusive post-conflict planning has entrenched new
forms of marginalization and worsened human insecurity. Legal scholars
have criticized the Greentree Agreement for prioritizing territorial sovereignty over human dignity, effectively rendering displaced Bakassi indigenes
invisible in both domestic and international legal frameworks (Anthony 2014;
Hussain 2023). Addressing this institutional vacuum requires a concerted
effort to bridge humanitarian assistance with political accountability, emphasizing inclusive governance and justice for displaced persons.
Brazilian Journal of African Studies | Porto Alegre | v. 10, n. 19, Jan./Jun. 2025 | p. 144-169
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