Abstract
Internal displacement is increasingly becoming an urban issue, particularly where displaced households remain away from their places of origin for several years. This study examines the emergence and persistence of internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) settlements in Abuja, Nigeria, and considers what their spatial distribution and living conditions reveal about urban governance. A descriptive research design was adopted, combining questionnaire survey, field observation and GIS-based spatial analysis. Eighteen IDP settlements were identified across five Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, and 372 questionnaires were administered to residents. The settlements are strongly concentrated in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), which contains 12 of the 18 settlements (66.7%). Gwagwalada and Kuje each contain two settlements, while Bwari and Kwali each contain one. Settlement formation is largely self-organised: 93.5% of respondents reported that they had settled at their present locations themselves. Residence is also prolonged, with 90.3% reporting that they had lived in their current settlements for more than three years. Yet this de facto permanence has not been matched by adequate housing and infrastructure. Overcrowding was identified by 83.9% of respondents as the main environmental problem, while 90.3% considered public transportation inadequate. Available facilities were rated fair by 67.7% and poor by 32.3%; none were rated good. The evidence indicates that these settlements have moved beyond the conventional understanding of temporary humanitarian camps without becoming adequately incorporated into the formal urban system. Prolonged displacement in Abuja is therefore producing a form of informal urbanisation in which displaced households occupy urban space, organise community life and pursue livelihoods while remaining weakly connected to formal land, housing and infrastructure systems. The study argues for a shift from short-term camp management towards displacement-sensitive urban planning.