Benue’s Displaced Struggle Amid Climate and Conflict Crisis

John Cain in Nigeria

MAKURDI, NIGERIA – Before Ichwa camp was established last year, a quiet revolution was already underway. Among the makeshift tents and the weight of tragedy, Mimi, a farmer-turned-volunteer teaching assistant, was gathering children for outdoor lessons. “I tell them stories about our culture and life before the camp,” she says. “When I teach, I forget everything for a while.”

But forgetting is no easy feat for Mimi, who carries the scars of unimaginable loss. Just three years ago, she lived as a successful farmer in Guma Local Government Area, tending to fertile land and rearing livestock alongside her husband and three children.

Her life changed forever when armed men attacked her family in their yam fields. Her husband was killed, her 11-year-old daughter was murdered, and Mimi was raped and left for dead. A hunter rescued her and brought her to Ichwa camp, where she was reunited with her two sons, now aged 12 and 15.

“I lost everything,” she says. “My village is ashes now; the land is no longer ours. So many here have suffered the same.”

Root Causes of Conflict

Like Mimi, nearly all of Ichwa’s 3,790 registered residents were smallholder farmers displaced by violent land grabs, a growing crisis in Nigeria’s lush Middle Belt. Over the past decade, an estimated half a million people in Benue State alone have fled their homes due to clashes between herders and farmers, driven in part by desertification, erratic rainfall, and other effects of climate change.

A new report from UNHCR highlights the intersection of climate change, conflict, and displacement, warning of worsening conditions for the 90 million forcibly displaced people exposed to climate-related hazards globally.

Ibrahim Galma, Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), which represents Nigeria’s herders, notes the mounting challenges. “Desertification has dried our pastures, forcing herders to migrate further south, where competition for land leads to suspicion and violence. Dialogue, not force, is the way forward,” he says.

MACBAN is advocating for herders to adopt climate-smart agriculture, settle in permanent locations, and educate their children. “If we can live in one place, we can grow fodder, send our children to school, and vote,” Galma adds. “But we need land, education, and health facilities.”

Hope Amid Hardship

Despite harsh conditions, there is resilience in the camp. With support from UNHCR and local partners, survivors like Mimi are being trained to counsel others. She now moves from tent to tent, encouraging women to share their stories. “It’s painful, but talking makes the pain lessen,” she says.

The camp’s residents, however, face dire challenges. Most rely on piecemeal farm work to survive. Others, like Vincent Ijebe and his wife Jennifer, attempt to farm rented plots of land, but extreme weather often undermines their efforts. Recently, the Benue River flooded their rice field, leaving them in debt.

“I’ll have to work on other people’s farms again,” Vincent laments, adding that his son’s education is now uncertain.

Mimi remains optimistic about returning to her ancestral land. “We used to be Nigeria’s food basket. Farming is our way of life, and I’ll never stop dreaming of going back,” she says.

A Call for Action

UNHCR’s Senior Field Associate Beatrice Shomkegh underscores the need for sustained dialogue and support for displaced communities. “We must continually reassess our efforts, ensuring they are inclusive and impactful,” she says, while acknowledging funding limitations that hinder broader interventions.

For displaced families like Mimi’s, life in the camp is a struggle for survival. Yet the spirit of hope endures, even in the face of relentless hardship.