Senate Approves Bill to Enforce AU Treaty on Internally Displaced Persons

Senate Approves Bill to Enforce AU Treaty on Internally Displaced Persons

The Nigerian Senate has given its final approval to a landmark bill aimed at domesticating the African Union’s Kampala Convention, a treaty dedicated to protecting and assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the continent.

Originally signed by Nigeria in 2009, the convention has remained undomesticated until now. The newly passed legislation titled African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (Domestication and Enforcement) Bill, 2025 seeks to incorporate the provisions of the Kampala Convention into Nigerian law.

The bill was sponsored by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, CFR, in response to the growing concerns surrounding the welfare of displaced persons in the country. After passage in the House, the bill was forwarded to the Senate for concurrence