The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), in collaboration with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network (CPAN), convened a high-level policy dialogue and webinar to present findings from a new study on Insecurity, Livelihoods and Welfare in Northern Nigeria: Implications for Humanitarian Response, Social Protection, Resilience and Poverty Reduction.
Held under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG Nigeria) programme, with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the event brought together policymakers, government officials, researchers, development partners, civil society actors, humanitarian practitioners, and traditional institutions to examine the complex relationship between insecurity, poverty, livelihoods, and welfare in Northern Nigeria.
Opening the dialogue, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, underscored the urgent need to address the interconnected challenges of conflict, poverty, and vulnerability through coordinated and evidence-driven approaches.
Drawing on findings from the study, the Minister noted that fragmented humanitarian and social protection systems have often limited the effectiveness of support for vulnerable populations.
“The problem has never been that of support. It has never been that support fails, it has been that the support fails to reach the intended recipients,” he stated.
The Minister further highlighted the two-way relationship between conflict and poverty, noting that insecurity destroys livelihoods and markets, while poverty, unemployment, and limited opportunities create conditions that can fuel instability. He emphasized that these challenges require integrated responses rather than isolated interventions.
Central to his remarks was the introduction of the One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), a unified national framework designed to harmonise humanitarian action, social protection, and long-term development efforts.
“OHOPRS is not another standalone social project. It is a national operating system, a unified architecture that harmonises humanitarian action, social and long-term development into a single framework built on three principles, one system, one register, and one pathway,” the Minister said.
Delivering remarks on behalf of development partners, Prof. Ukoha Ukiwo of the SPRiNG Nigeria programme reaffirmed the programme’s commitment to generating evidence that informs policy and practice on peacebuilding and resilience.
He highlighted the clear relationship between poverty, inequality, limited livelihood opportunities, and instability, noting that access to sustainable livelihoods is critical in enabling vulnerable populations, particularly women and young people, to resist pressures associated with criminality and armed conflict.
“There is a clear link between lack of livelihoods, lack of social welfare, poverty, and related inequalities to instability,” he said.
Prof. Ukoha Ukiwo noted that the study comes at a critical time as the Government of Nigeria continues to strengthen social protection policies and systems, expressing optimism that the research findings would contribute meaningfully to ongoing reforms.
The policy dialogue also featured remarks from the Special Adviser to the President on Chieftaincy Matters, who highlighted the important role of traditional institutions in promoting peace, security, and social cohesion.
According to him, traditional rulers remain among the most trusted and accessible institutions at the community level and are often the first point of contact during periods of tension or social disruption. He called for stronger collaboration between traditional institutions, government agencies, and security actors to enhance grassroots intelligence gathering, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding efforts.
Presenting the study findings, Dr. Vidya Diwakar, Deputy Director of CPAN and Senior Research Fellow at IDS, shared evidence drawn from conflict-affected communities across Northern Nigeria.
The study found that different forms of insecurity, including Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, and farmer-herder conflict, affect livelihoods and welfare through distinct pathways, underscoring the need for context-specific responses.
The findings revealed that Boko Haram-related violence has the most severe and long-lasting negative effects on household welfare, while banditry and farmer-herder conflict undermine productive activities, destroy assets, and disrupt recovery processes.
A key finding from the study showed that livelihood diversification is the strongest and most consistent resilience factor across conflict-affected communities. However, only a small proportion of households reported having diversified livelihood sources.
The research also found that completion of at least lower secondary education significantly improves welfare outcomes and strengthens household resilience across different conflict contexts.
In addition, the study highlighted how displacement, climate shocks, inflation, and structural inequalities, particularly those affecting women and youth, compound the impacts of insecurity and deepen vulnerability.
Participants agreed that addressing poverty and vulnerability in Northern Nigeria requires integrated approaches that combine humanitarian assistance, social protection, livelihood support, education, peacebuilding, and long-term development interventions.
The dialogue concluded with a call for sustained collaboration among government, development partners, researchers, civil society organisations, and local communities to translate evidence into action and strengthen resilience in conflict-affected communities across Northern Nigeria.
News Links:
https://guardian.ng/news/violence-insecurity-worsening-household-poverty-report-reveals/
https://punchng.com/banditry-farmer-herder-clashes-worsening-poverty-in-north-study/
https://dailytrust.com/insecurity-erodes-northern-households-welfare-report/
