According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Nigeria currently has the highest number of IDPs in the world with about 2.2m people living in internal refugee camps. This has led to a raft of social problems as the camps have become hotbeds of crime, disease, prostitution and violence.
In a bid to resolve some of these social problems, the Nigerian Army has decided to build a school at Bama to allow the children there to at least get an education. Army spokesman Col Sani Usman, confirmed the project, saying that its objective was also to cement civil-military relations.”
Col Usman added: “To further assist the internally displaced persons and enhance civil-military relations, troops of 21 Brigade, 7 Division Nigerian Army, have established a temporary school for the children at the IDP camp located in Bama town, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State using military tents. The school comprised six military tents in which soldiers not on essential duty served as teachers.
"In addition, some of the IDPs who were teachers before their displacement, also teach in the school. Presently, the school has a population of over 3,000 children and the brigade has also established a section for adult education."
Help also came from the United Nations Children Fund, which assisted the brigade with two additional tents and school bags for the pupils, while the Borno State Urban Education deployed a principal to assist in the running of the school. United Nations assistant secretary-general and the regional humanitarian coordinator for the Sahel, Toby Lanzer and the Borno State government celebrated the recently held World Humanitarian Day with the IDPs at the school.
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