As Tinubu signs Kalu’s landmark bill protecting IDPs

By: Udora Orizu

“Leadership in politics must begin with humanity; policies should first answer the question: who does this help?

These words define the ethos of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR whose legislative vision has achieved another historic milestone.

In February, 2026 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR signed the Kampala Convention (Domestication and Enforcement) Bill, 2025 into law, formally integrating the African Union treaty on internally displaced persons (IDPs) into Nigeria’s legal framework.

The Kampala Convention, adopted by the African Union in 2009, is the continent’s first legally binding instrument aimed at protecting and assisting IDPs. While Nigeria signed the treaty in 2009, it did not formally domesticated it into national law until now.

Titled “Act to Give Effect to the Provisions of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria; and for Related Matters”, the bill which received presidential assent stands in the name of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives as the lead sponsor with Hon. Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, Hon. Khadijat Bukar Ibrahim, Hon. Blessing Onuh, Hon. Nasiru Shehu, Hon. Felix Uche Nwaeke and Hon. Steve Fatoba as co-sponsors.

The piece of legislation previously passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, ultimately seeks to domesticate and enforce in Nigeria the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons.

The domestication of the Kampala Convention represents a significant step in Nigeria’s humanitarian and social protection architecture. Under the new law, competent authorities are mandated to: prevent arbitrary displacement during armed conflicts, violence, civil unrest, and disasters.

In practical terms, the law strengthens coordination among government agencies, state authorities, and humanitarian actors, ensuring that internally displaced communities receive timely assistance, protection, and rehabilitation.

For a country grappling with humanitarian crises—from the Boko Haram insurgency and banditry to farmer-herder conflicts and natural disasters—this law offers a roadmap toward durable, rights-based solutions.

Beyond legislative sponsorship, Deputy Speaker, Kalu has consistently engaged with the broader policy and legal questions shaping Nigeria’s humanitarian and security landscape.

One of such scholarly contribution is his work titled “Evaluating the Efficacy of Anti-Terrorism Legislation in Nigeria: Human Rights Challenges and Lessons for Emerging Democracies.”

In the study, Kalu examines the complex intersection between national security and human rights in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.

Kalu’s research argues that while counter-terrorism remains essential to national survival, it must operate within the boundaries of constitutional protections and international human rights obligations.

According to the study, security operations that disregard civil liberties risk eroding public trust, weakening democratic institutions, and undermining long-term stability.

The research further identifies key challenges confronting Nigeria’s counter-terrorism architecture, including weak inter-agency coordination, limited technological and intelligence capacity, and insufficient community engagement.

Addressing these gaps, the study calls for reforms that strengthen both operational effectiveness and human rights compliance.

Importantly, the work reflects a broader philosophy of governance that prioritises human dignity within national security policy — an approach also evident in Kalu’s sponsorship of the African Union Kampala Convention domesticated through the Kampala Convention (Domestication and Enforcement) Act.

Together, these efforts underscore a legislative vision that recognises security and humanitarian protection as complementary rather than competing goals. By advocating counter-terrorism strategies that safeguard both national stability and individual rights, the study offers valuable lessons not only for Nigeria but for other emerging democracies confronting similar security challenges.

Kalu’s humanitarian drive and legislative activism has continued to gain global recognition. His invitation as a panelist at a high-level event hosted by the United Nations to mark the 27th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement underscores his steadfast commitment to protecting vulnerable populations, especially internally displaced persons (IDPs).

At the virtual meeting, the Deputy Speaker assured the United Nations that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was taking deliberate and effective steps to address the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

He emphasised that Tinubu’s administration has proactively activated key components of the treaty to significantly enhance the living conditions of IDPs.

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Kalu further informed the UN that the National Assembly of Nigeria is diligently finalising the legislation to provide legal backing to the treaty.

Prior to this virtual event, in November 2024, Kalu beamed searchlight on the impact of natural disasters such as flooding and erosion, calling for data on the internally displaced persons in Nigeria as well as those in the neighbouring countries rendered homeless by natural disasters.

He made the call while playing host to the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs, Tijani Ahmed, in Abuja.

“We are charging your commission to give us the total report on the plight of Nigerians currently all across the country. So, let the commission have an intervention fund dedicated to doing the proper needs analysis so that as we do the budget, we look into it. This is part of the oversight function. So, get us a report on that. Your mandate includes refugees and the IDPs. You can’t be internally displaced only through war or crisis. You can be internally displaced through climate-induced displacement and that’s what we are experiencing now.

“You can also be internally displaced through climate-induced displacement and that’s what we are experiencing now. The climate is at war with us. So, the issue of mitigation and adaptation is something that, as a government, we must take seriously but in doing that, agencies like yours which manage the consequences of these climate impacts need to be aware that it’s beyond what we are seeing currently,”Kalu had said.

The signing of the bill marks a significant step in strengthening Nigeria’s humanitarian and social protection architecture. The development underscores Kalu’s growing legislative influence and commitment to addressing critical national challenges through lawmaking, while aligning Nigeria’s policies with international and regional standards on the protection of vulnerable populations.

The main objectives include: an act to provide a legal and institutional framework for the prevention, mitigation and elimination of root causes of internal displacement; make provision for the protection, assistance and durable solutions for internally displaced persons in Nigeria; ensure the protection of the human rights of internally displaced persons in line with the provisions of the Constitution, relevant laws, and international instruments to which Nigeria is a party; provide for the obligations, responsibilities and roles of government agencies (“competent authorities”) and non-state actors; provide a comprehensive and gender friendly framework for national response, coordination and collaboration for the protection, assistance and humanitarian interventions relating to internal displacement; and promote solidarity, cooperation, durable solutions and mutual support among — State Parties to the Convention, State Parties and non-state actors, competent authorities, and non-state actors in collaboration with relevant agencies, in order to combat displacement and address its consequences.

In his reaction to the signing, Kalu commended President Tinubu, saying: “he has given a human face to the suffering of IDPs. We must work together to address this humanitarian crisis and provide lasting solutions. The international community is also called upon to partner with Nigeria in addressing the root causes of displacement.”

As President Tinubu signs the Kampala Convention Bill into law, the Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu once again demonstrates that genuine leadership begins with humanity.

A humanitarian politician does not see citizens merely as votes to be counted, but as lives that must be protected and valued.

This milestone reinforces a simple but powerful truth: the true measure of leadership lies in how well it safeguards the people. Policies must always serve humanity before politics.

Orizu is media aide to the Deputy Speaker