Internal displacement has become an unlikely source of rapid urbanization. Specifically, as people affected by violent conflict in rural areas flee to seek refuge, they are finding cities to be an attractive destination. In Nigeria, violent conflict that leads to displacement mainly occurs in rural areas and locations where the reach of government and its institutions are limited—the seemingly ungoverned spaces enabling perpetrators of violence to operate. Cities, on the other hand, have more government presence and are able to be more resilient to sustained insurgent activities that lead to mass displacement.
February 18, 2020
