The role of social provision on sustainable livelihood among displaced persons in Benue State: challenges and opportunities

The increasing displacement crisis in Benue State resulting from conflicts, particularly between herders and farmers, makes effective humanitarian interventions and social provisions for IDPs indispensable. This study investigates the role of social provisions in promoting sustainable livelihoods for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State, Nigeria. The study, using a qualitative research method, fundamentally guided by the sustainable livelihood framework and welfare regime framework, attempts to assess the challenges related to the provision of the delivery, effectiveness, and the eventual impact on the livelihood sustainability of IDPs. Data was collected through interviews and focus group discussion with a total of twenty (20) participants which includes IDPs, camp officials, community leaders, and non-state actors such as NGOs. These results show that although social provisions such as education and healthcare have impacted the lives of the IDPs, a several challenges persist. These include shortage of shortage of provisions, security threat, and financial constraints. As it is, IDPs are of the view that these basic needs such as food, shelter, education and healthcare were not enough to sustain them, which leaves them dependent on external aid. Humanitarian actors have also sited security risks and financial constraints as the key factors that often limit the delivery of social services. Against these odds however, this research shows how social provision, inclusive of food provision, shelter, educational support, skill acquisition programmes and healthcare provisions play an indisputable role in supporting internally displaced persons. All these services have been able to foster resilience beyond what is provided to them, although they need to be scaled up and better coordinated for long-term impact. The study concludes that an all- encompassing approach, which may involve improved funding, enhanced security measures, and better coordination among humanitarian actors, is necessary to ensure sustainable livelihoods for IDPs in Benue State. Increasing the volume of social provisions, focusing on long-term livelihood support through skills acquisition and financial empowerment, and addressing the challenges of service delivery to create a more robust and sustainable frameworks for IDP support in Nigeria constitute the recommendations.