The Senate has passed for third reading the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (Domestication and Enforcement) Bill, 2025. The legislation seeks to domesticate the Kampala Convention into Nigerian law, following its earlier passage by the House of Representatives.

Originally adopted by the African Union in 2009, the Kampala Convention outlines a regional framework for preventing displacement, protecting internally displaced persons (IDPs), and facilitating their resettlement or reintegration. Nigeria signed the convention in 2009 but had not previously enacted domestic legislation to implement its provisions.

The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu, CFR, aims to address the legal and institutional gaps in Nigeria’s response to internal displacement.

Presenting the bill during Tuesday’s Senate plenary, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said it had earlier been read for the first time on December 10, 2024. “It seeks to domesticate and enforce in Nigeria the African Union convention for protection and assistance to internally displaced persons and elimination of root causes and internal displacement,” he stated.

Bamidele urged lawmakers to support the bill, noting that it aligns with Nigeria’s constitutional obligations and international commitments. The bill was referred to the Committee of the Whole, where its 46 clauses, explanatory memorandum, and long title were considered.

The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, oversaw the clause-by-clause review. The Senate subsequently passed the bill.

With its passage in both chambers, the legislation now awaits presidential assent to become law. If signed, the domestication of the Kampala Convention will provide a legal basis for coordinated national responses to internal displacement in Nigeria.